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Abstract: Restoration of mesenteric lymphatic microcirculation is crucial for alleviating severe hemorrhagic shock-induced death. Exercise preconditioning (EP) enhances adaptability and resistance to injury and disease. The mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membrane (MAM) plays a crucial role in the energy and information exchange between the two organelles. Therefore, we hypothesized that EP ameliorates mesenteric lymphatic contractility through MAM in rats following hemorrhagic shock, aiming to confirm that EP enhances resistance to hemorrhagic shock and further popularizes the idea that exercise is beneficial for health. To test this hypothesis, we observed the effects of EP for 4 weeks on survival time and mesenteric lymphatic contractility in conscious rats following hemorrhagic shock and further explored the effects of MAM agonists and inhibitors. The results showed that EP prolonged the survival time and improved the mesenteric lymphatic contractility and reactivity in vivo and in vitro in rats underwent hemorrhagic shock, ameliorated the MAM ultrastructure in lymphatic smooth muscle cells (LSMCs) and reduced the voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1, a vital protein of MAM) and IP3R1 expressions in mesenteric lymphatic tissue. Importantly, treatment with 2-APB (IP3R1 inhibitor) or VBIT-12 (VDAC1 inhibitor) prolonged the survival time, improved mesenteric lymphatic contractility in vivo , ameliorated the MAM ultrastructure injury, and decreased the IP3R1 or VDAC1 expressions in LSMCs in rats following hemorrhagic shock. In contrast, the administration of drinking water containing CdCl 2 (IP3R1 activator) abolished the beneficial effect of EP on hemorrhagic shock. Taken together, the protective effect of EP on lymphatic contractility following hemorrhagic shock was achieved by improving MAM in LSMCs., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 by the Shock Society.)

Abstract: Background: Recent studies have shown that ferroptosis is involved in the evolution of acute lung injury (ALI), a serious respiratory pathological process leading to death. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying ferroptosis in ALI remain largely unknown. The current study analyzed and identified a ferroptosis-related gene signature for ALI. Methods: Key genes associated with ferroptosis in ALI were identified by bioinformatics analysis. GSE104214, GSE18341, and GSE17355 datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The signature genes were screened by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, and the key genes of ALI were screened by weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA), followed by immune infiltration analysis and functional enrichment analysis. In addition, mRNA expression of key genes in the lungs of mice with hemorrhagic shock (HS) and sepsis was verified. Results: A total of 2,132 differential genes were identified by various analyses, and 9 characteristic genes were detected using Lasso regression. We intersected nine signature genes with WGCNA module genes and finally determined four key genes ( PROK2 , IL6 , TNF , SLC7A11 ). All four key genes were closely correlated with immune cells and regulatory genes of ALI, and the expression of the four genes was significantly different in the lung tissues of HS and sepsis models. Besides, the ferroptosis-related molecules GPX4 and ACSL4 showed remarkable difference in these models. Conclusion: These results indicate that PROK2 , IL6 , TNF , and SLC7A11 may be key regulatory targets of ferroptosis during ALI. This study proved that ferroptosis is a common pathophysiological process in three ALI models., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 by the Shock Society.)

It remains a challenge to obtain biocompatible afterglow materials with long emission wavelengths, durable lifetimes, and good water solubility. Herein we develop a photooxidation strategy to construct near-infrared afterglow carbon nanodots with an extra-long lifetime of up to 5.9 h, comparable to that of the well-known rare-earth or organic long-persistent luminescent materials. Intriguingly, size-dependent afterglow lifetime evolution from 3.4 to 5.9 h has been observed from the carbon nanodots systems in aqueous solution. With structural/ultrafast dynamics analysis and density functional theory simulations, we reveal that the persistent luminescence in carbon nanodots is activated by a photooxidation-induced dioxetane intermediate, which can slowly release and convert energy into luminous emission via the steric hindrance effect of nanoparticles. With the persistent near-infrared luminescence, tissue penetration depth of 20 mm can be achieved. Thanks to the high signal-to-background ratio, biological safety and cancer-specific targeting ability of carbon nanodots, ultralong-afterglow guided surgery has been successfully performed on mice model to remove tumor tissues accurately, demonstrating potential clinical applications. These results may facilitate the development of long-lasting luminescent materials for precision tumor resection., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Abstract: Posthemorrhagic shock mesenteric lymph (PHSML) return-contributed excessive autophagy of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is involved in vascular hyporeactivity, which is inhibited by stellate ganglion block (SGB) treatment. The contractile phenotype of VSMCs transforms into a synthetic phenotype after stimulation with excessive autophagy. Therefore, we hypothesized that SGB ameliorates PHSML-induced vascular hyporeactivity by inhibiting autophagy-mediated phenotypic transformation of VSMCs. To substantiate this hypothesis, a hemorrhagic shock model in conscious rats was used to observe the effects of SGB intervention or intravenous infusion of the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) on intestinal blood flow and the expression of autophagy- and phenotype-defining proteins in mesenteric secondary artery tissues. We also investigated the effects of intraperitoneal administration of PHSML intravenous infusion and the autophagy agonist rapamycin (RAPA) on the beneficial effect of SGB. The results showed that hemorrhagic shock decreased intestinal blood flow and enhanced the expression of LC3 II/I, Beclin 1, and matrix metalloproteinase 2, which were reversed by SGB or 3-MA treatment. In contrast, RAPA and PHSML administration abolished the beneficial effects of SGB. Furthermore, the effects of PHSML or PHSML obtained from rats treated with SGB (PHSML-SGB) on cellular contractility, autophagy, and VSMC phenotype were explored. Meanwhile, the effects of 3-MA on PHSML and RAPA on PHSML-SGB were observed. The results showed that PHSML, but not PHSML-SGB, incubation decreased VSMC contractility and induced autophagy activation and phenotype transformation. Importantly, 3-MA administration reversed the adverse effects of PHSML, and RAPA treatment attenuated the effects of PHSML-SGB incubation on VSMCs. Taken together, the protective effect of SGB on vascular reactivity is achieved by inhibiting excessive autophagy-mediated phenotypic transformation of VSMCs to maintain their contractile phenotype., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 by the Shock Society.)

Introduction: Mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) are central in immune anatomy. MLNs are associated with the composition of gut microbiota, affecting the central system and immune system. Gut microbiota was found to differ among individuals of different social hierarchies. Nowadays, excision of MLNs is more frequently involved in gastrointestinal surgery; however, the potential side effects of excision of MLNs on social dominance are still unknown., Methods: MLNs were removed from male mice (7-8 weeks old). Four weeks after MLN removal, social dominance test was performed to investigate social dominance; hippocampal and serum interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were investigated; and histopathology was used to evaluate local inflammation of the ileum. The composition of the gut microbiota was then examined to understand the possible mechanism, and finally intraperitoneal injection of IL-10 was used to validate the effect of IL-10 on social dominance., Results: There was a decrease in social dominance in the operation group compared to the control group, as well as a decrease in serum and hippocampal IL-10 levels, but no difference in serum and hippocampal IL-1β and TNF-α levels, and no local inflammation of the ileum after MLN removal. 16S rRNA sequencing analysis showed that the relative abundance of the class Clostridia was decreased in the operation group. This decrease was positively associated with serum IL-10 levels. Furthermore, intraperitoneal injection of IL-10 in a subset of mice increased social dominance., Conclusions: Our findings suggested that MLNs contributed to maintaining social dominance, which might be associated with reduced IL-10 and the imbalance of specific flora in gut microbiota., (© 2023 The Authors. Brain and Behavior published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Abstract: Background: Hemorrhagic shock-induced acute lung injury (ALI) is commonly associated with the posthemorrhagic shock mesenteric lymph (PHSML) return. Whether excessive autophagy is involved in PHSML-mediated ALI remains unclear. The relationship between estrogen treatment and PHSML or autophagy needs to verify. The current study will clarify the role of estrogen in reducing PHSML-mediated ALI through inhibition of autophagy. Methods: First, a hemorrhagic shock model in conscious rats was used to observe the effects of 17β-estradiol (E2) on intestinal blood flow, pulmonary function, intestinal and pulmonary morphology, and expression of autophagy marker proteins. Meanwhile, the effect of PHSML and autophagy agonist during E2 treatment was also investigated. Secondly, rat primary pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells were used to observe the effect of PHSML, PHSML plus E2, and E2-PHSML (PHSML obtained from rats treated by E2) on the cell viability. Results: Hemorrhagic shock induced intestinal and pulmonary tissue damage and increased wet/dry ratio, reduced intestinal blood flow, along with pulmonary dysfunction characterized by increased functional residual capacity and lung resistance and decreased inspiratory capacity and peak expiratory flow. Hemorrhagic shock also enhanced the autophagy levels in intestinal and pulmonary tissue, which was characterized by increased expressions of LC3 II/I and Beclin-1 and decreased expression of p62. E2 treatment significantly attenuated these adverse changes after hemorrhagic shock, which was reversed by PHSML or rapamycin administration. Importantly, PHSML incubation decreased the viability of pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells, while E2 coincubation or E2-treated lymph counteracted the adverse roles of PHSML. Conclusions: The role of estrogen reducing PHSML-mediated ALI is associated with the inhibition of autophagy., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2023 by the Shock Society.)

Four new species of Russula subsection Sardoninae from northern and southwestern China under coniferous and deciduous trees are proposed as R. begonia , R. photinia , R. rhodochroa , and R. rufa . Illustrations and descriptions of R. gracillima , R. leucomarginata , R. roseola , and the above four new species are provided based on evidence of morphological characters and phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), as well as the multi-locus of mtSSU, nLSU, rpb1 , rpb2 and tef1 -α. The relationships between these new species and allied taxa are discussed.

Abstract: Dendritic cell (DC)-mediated immune dysfunction is involved in the process of severe hemorrhagic shock that leads to sepsis. Although post-hemorrhagic shock mesenteric lymph (PHSML) induces immune organs injuries and apoptosis, whether PHSML exerts adverse effects on splenic DCs remains unknown. In this study, we established a hemorrhagic shock model (40 ± 2 mm Hg for 60 min) followed by fluid resuscitation with the shed blood and equal Ringer's solution and drained the PHSML after resuscitation. At 3 h after resuscitation, we harvested the splenic tissue to isolate DCs using anti-CD11c immunomagnetic beads and then detected the necrotic and apoptotic rates in splenocytes and splenic DCs. We also detected the levels of TNF-α, IL-10, and IL-12 in the culture supernatants and surface marker expressions of MHC-II, CD80, and CD86 of splenic DCs following LPS stimulation for 24 h. Second, we purified the DCs from splenocytes of normal mice to investigate the effects of PHSML treatment on cytokine production and surface marker expression following LPS stimulation. The results showed that PHSML drainage attenuated LPS-induced cell death of splenocytes and DCs. Meanwhile, PHSML drainage enhanced the DC percentage in splenocytes and increased the TNF-α and IL-12 production by DCs and the expressions of CD80, CD86, and MHCII of DCs treated by LPS. Furthermore, PHSML treatment reduced the productions of TNF-α, IL-10, and IL-12 and the expressions of CD80 and CD86 in normal DCs after treatment with LPS. In summary, the current investigation demonstrated that PHSML inhibited the cytokine production and surface marker expressions of DCs stimulated by LPS, suggesting that PHSML plays an important role in hemorrhagic shock-induced immunosuppression through the impairment of DC function and maturation., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 by the Shock Society.)

Spermidine is a class of biologically active organic small molecules that play an important role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis. The specific objective of this study was to explore the effects of spermidine on intestinal morphology, metabolites, and microbial diversity in mice. We showed that 0.3 mmol/L of spermidine significantly promoted the growth of ileal villi ( p < 0.05), and 3.0 mmol/L of spermidine significantly increased the body weight of mice and promoted the growth of jejunum villi ( p < 0.05). The 16S rDNA sequencing results indicated that 3.0 mmol/L of spermidine affected the balance of the intestinal flora by increasing the abundance of intestinal Lactic acid bacteria and reducing the abundance of harmful bacteria ( Turicibacter and Alistipes ). Additionally, spermidine affects the levels of microbial metabolites such as succinic acid and Pantetheine . In summary, spermidine affects intestinal morphology and regulates intestinal flora and metabolites, and this study has provided a new understanding of spermidine's effects on the intestinal tract.

Objective: To assess the risk of foodborne diseases caused by Cronobacter sakazakii in infant formula powder from retail to feeding and provide formulate suggestions for safe feeding of infants at home. Methods: This study used the special monitoring and risk monitoring data of infant formula powder in Heilongjiang Province and combined data at home and abroad. The @RISK software was used to evaluate the disease risk caused by Cronobacter sakazakii in the process of infant formula powder from retail to feeding. Results: According to the results of this quantitative risk assessment, the risk of foodborne diseases caused by Cronobacter sakazakii at the current consumption pattern in Heilongjiang Province was 5.158×10 -5 persons/million (40.0 ℃ and 50.0 ℃), 1.072×10 -7 persons/million (60.0 ℃), 5.544×10 -14 persons/million (70.0 ℃). When the feeding time of infant formula powder was adjusted to 0-2 h and 2-3 h respectively, the above prediction results did not change. When it was adjusted to 3-4 h, the risk increased. If it was adjusted to 4-24 h, the number of Cronobacter sakazakii increased by 14-24 orders of magnitude at room temperature. If the initial pollution concentration (after flushing) was adjusted to 1 MPN/ml, the average disease risk per meal was 805.7 persons/million (40.0 ℃ and 50.0 ℃), 1.7 persons/million (60.0 ℃) and 9.1 × 10 -7 persons/million (70.0 ℃). The results of sensitivity analysis showed that the water temperature (70.0 ℃), initial pollution concentration, room storage time and temperature were important factors of risk. Conclusion: Controlling the contamination level of Cronobacter sakazakii in infant formula powder, controlling the feeding time within 3 h, storing in refrigerator and mixing with water with temperature not lower than 70.0 ℃ are effective measures to prevent infants from eating infant formula powder infected by Cronobacter sakazakii.

Background Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is a chronic disease with substantial mortality. Management of HFrEF has seen significant breakthrough after the launch of neprilysin inhibitor. The PARADIGM-HF (Prospective Comparison of ARNI with ACEI to Determine Impacton Global Mortality and Morbidity in Heart Failure) trial showed that sacubitril/valsartan significantly reduces HFrEF mortality and the heart failure hospitalization rate. However, in patients with advanced kidney disease, who have the highest prevalence of heart failure, the efficacy and safety of sacubitril/valsartan remains uncertain. We aim to study the efficiency of sacubitril/valsartan in patients with end-stage kidney disease. Methods and Results Heart function was screened by echocardiogram among all patients with end-stage kidney disease in 2 hospitals. Patients with HFrEF received either sacubitril/valsartan or conventional treatment. Fifteen echocardiographic parameters were compared before and after treatment. After 1-year sacubitril/valsartan treatment, parameters of systolic (left ventricular ejection fraction 31.3% to 45.1%, P <0.0001; left ventricular end-systolic volume 95.7 to 70.1 mL, P =0.006; left ventricular internal diameter at end-systole phase 47.2 to 40.1 mm, P =0.005), and diastolic (E/A ratio 1.3 to 0.8, P =0.009; E/Med e' ratio 25.3 to 18.8, P =0.010) function improved in patients with HFrEF and end-stage kidney disease. These parameters were unchanged in the conventional treatment group. Serum potassium did not increase in the sacubitril/valsartan group. Conclusions Sacubitril/valsartan improves left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in patients with HFrEF and end-stage kidney disease.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) represents the second most common neurodegenerative disease., Objective: To evaluate the effects of dance therapy (DT) aimed at improving non-motor symptoms in PD., Methods: Studies were performed through PubMed, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, Embase, and Science Direct from inception to October 27, 2021. The data were screened independently by two reviewers, and the quality of the papers was assessed using the Cochrane manual. The included studies were randomized controlled trials and quasi-randomized controlled trials, reporting random-effects standardized mean differences, and 95% confidence intervals as the effect size. I 2 statistics were used to assess heterogeneity. The main outcomes included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MOCA), Baker Depression Scale (BDI), Parkinson's Fatigue Scale (FPS-16), and Apathy Scale (AS). RevMan 5.3 software was integrated for meta-analysis., Results: Nine literatures were analyzed for the meta-analysis with a total of 307 patients. Random effects showed that DT significantly improved cognitive of PD (MD = 1.50, 95% CI [0.52, 2.48], P = 0.0003; I 2  = 51%). However, this meta-analysis demonstrated that dance therapy had no significance for improving depression (MD = - 1.33, 95% CI [- 4.11, 1.45], P = 0.35; I 2  = 79%), fatigue (MD = 0.26, 95% CI [- 0.31, 0.83], P = 0.37; I 2  = 0%), and apathy (MD = 0.07, 95% CI [- 2.55, 2.69], P = 0.96; I 2  = 50%)., Conclusion: The meta-analysis suggests that dance can improve cognitive function in PD., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Purpose: Post hemorrhagic shock mesenteric lymph (PHSML) return contributes to CD4 + T cell dysfunction, which leads to immune dysfunction and uncontrolled inflammatory response. Tumor necrosis factor α induced protein 8 like-2 (TIPE2) is one of the essential proteins to maintain the immune homeostasis. This study investigated the role of TIPE2 in regulation of CD4 + T lymphocyte function in interaction of PHSML and TLR2/TLR4., Methods: The splenic CD4 + T cells were isolated from various mice (WT, TLR2 -/- , TLR4 -/- ) by immunomagnetic beads, and stimulated with PHSML, normal lymphatic fluid (NML), respectively. Application of TIPE2-carrying interfering fragments of lentivirus were transfected to WT, TLR4 -/- , and TLR2 -/- CD4 + T cells, respectively. After interference of TIPE2, they were stimulated with PHSML and NML for the examinations of TIPE2, TLR2, and TLR4 mRNA expressions, proliferation, activation molecules on surface, and cytokine secretion function., Results: PHSML stimulation significantly upregulated TIPE2, TLR2, and TLR4 mRNA expressions, decreased proliferation, CD25 expression, and IFN-γ secretion, and increased the secretion ability of IL-4 in WT CD4 + T cells. TIPE2 silencing enhanced proliferative capacity, upregulated CD25 expression, and increased IFNγ secretion in CD4 + T cells. PHSML stimulated TLR2 -/- CD4 + T or TLR4 -/- CD4 + T cells of which TIPE2 were silenced. TLR2 or TLR4 knockout attenuated PHSML-induced CD4 + T cells dysfunction; PHSML stimulation of silent TIPE2-expressing TLR2 -/- CD4 + T or TLR4 -/- CD4 + T revealed that the coexistence of low TIPE2 expression with lack of TLR2 or TLR4 eliminated this beneficial effect., Conclusion: TIPE2 improves the PHSML-mediated CD4 + T cells dysfunction by regulating TLR2/TLR4 pathway, providing a new intervention target following hemorrhagic shock-induced immune dysfunction., 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 © 2022 Du, Jiang, Zhao, Zhang, Zhang, Wang, Guo, Zhai, Wang, Zhao, Niu and Jiang.)

Danofloxacin is a synthetic fluoroquinolone with broad-spectrum activity developed for use in veterinary medicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) targets, PK/PD cutoff values and the optimum doses of danofloxacin against P. multocida and H. parasuis in piglets. Single dose serum pharmacokinetics was determined in piglets after intravenous and intramuscular administration of 2.5 mg/kg. Danofloxacin was well absorbed and fully bioavailable (95.2%) after intramuscular administration of 2.5 mg/kg. The epidemiological cutoff (ECOFF) values of danofloxacin from 931 P. multocida isolates and 263 H. parasuis isolates were 0.03 and 4 mg/L, respectively. Danofloxacin MICs determined in porcine serum were markedly lower than those measured in artificial broth, with a broth/serum ratio of 4.33 for H. parasuis . Compared to P. multocida , danofloxacin exhibited significantly longer post-antibiotic effects (3.18-6.60 h) and post-antibiotic sub-MIC effects (7.02-9.94 h) against H. parasuis . The mean area under the concentration-time curve/MIC (AUC 24h /MIC) targets of danofloxacin in serum associated with the static and bactericidal effects were 32 and 49.8, respectively, for P. multocida , whereas they were 14.6 and 37.8, respectively, for H. parasuis . Danofloxacin AUC 24h /MIC targets for the same endpoints for P. multocida were higher than those for H. parasuis . At the current dose of 2.5 mg/kg, the PK/PD cutoff (CO PD ) values of danofloxacin against P. multocida and H. parasuis were calculated to be 0.125 and 0.5 mg/L, respectively, based on Monte Carlo simulations. The predicted optimum doses of danofloxacin for a probability of target attainment (PTA) of > 90% to cover the overall MIC population distributions of P. multocida and H. parasuis in this study were 2.38 and 13.36 mg/kg, respectively. These PK/PD-based results have potential relevance for the clinical dose optimization and evaluation of susceptibility breakpoints for danofloxacin in the treatment of swine respiratory tract infections involving these pathogens., 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 © 2022 Zhou, Sun, Wang, Li, Niu, Li, Feng, Sun, Liu and Liao.)

A challenge preventing successful inverse kinematics measurements with heavy nuclei that are not fully stripped is identifying and tagging the beam particles. For this purpose, the HEavy ISotope Tagger (HEIST) has been developed. HEIST utilizes two micro-channel plate timing detectors to measure the time-of-flight, a multi-sampling ion chamber to measure energy loss, and a high-purity germanium detector to identify isomer decays and calibrate the isotope identification system. HEIST has successfully identified 198 Pb and other nearby nuclei at energies of about 75 MeV/A. In the experiment discussed, a typical cut containing 89% of all 198 Pb 80+ in the beam had a purity of 86%. We examine the issues of charge state contamination. The observed charge state populations of these ions are presented and, using an adjusted beam energy, are well described by the charge state model GLOBAL.

^{18}Mg was observed, for the first time, by the invariant-mass reconstruction of ^{14}O+4p events. The ground-state decay energy and width are E&#95;{T}=4.865(34)  MeV and Γ=115(100)  keV, respectively. The observed momentum correlations between the five particles are consistent with two sequential steps of prompt 2p decay passing through the ground state of ^{16}Ne. The invariant-mass spectrum also provides evidence for an excited state at an excitation energy of 1.84(14) MeV, which is likely the first excited 2^{+} state. As this energy exceeds that for the 2^{+} state in ^{20}Mg, this observation provides an argument for the demise of the N=8 shell closure in nuclei far from stability. However, in open systems this classical argument for shell strength is compromised by Thomas-Ehrman shifts.

Introduction: Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver (UESL) is a rare form of liver malignancy, with most cases reported in the pediatric population. This disease is extremely uncommon in adults. Herein, we report the first case of UESL with epithelioid features in an adult patient., Patient Concerns: A 50-year-old man was admitted to our hospital due to epigastric pain., Diagnosis and Interventions: Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a space-occupying lesion in the right lobe of the liver. A right hemihepatectomy was performed. Postoperative pathological and immunohistochemical examinations confirmed the diagnosis of UESL and features of epithelioid differentiation., Outcomes: The patient recovered well and refused adjuvant therapy. Unfortunately, the patient died of tumor recurrence 3 months after hospital discharge., Conclusion: UESL is a rare form of liver cancer, with most cases reported in the pediatric population. This case study highlights an extremely uncommon case of UESL with epithelioid features and a very poor prognosis. The findings suggest that complete intraoperative resection and postoperative adjuvant therapy should be considered to improve the prognosis of adult patients with UESL with epithelioid features., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Severe hemorrhagic shock leads to excessive inflammation and immune dysfunction, which results in high mortality related to mesenteric lymph return. A recent study showed that stellate ganglion block (SGB) increased the survival rate in rats suffering hemorrhagic shock. However, whether SGB ameliorates immune dysfunction induced by hemorrhagic shock remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to verify the favorable effects of SGB on the proliferation and function of splenic CD4 + T cells isolated from rats that underwent hemorrhagic shock and to investigate the mechanism related to the SGB interaction with autophagy and posthemorrhagic shock mesenteric lymph (PHSML). Male rats underwent SGB or sham SGB and conscious acute hemorrhage followed by resuscitation and multiple treatments. After 3 h of resuscitation, splenic CD4 + T cells were isolated to measure proliferation and cytokine production following stimulation with ConA in vitro. CD4 + T cells isolated from normal rats were treated with PHSML drained from SBG-treated rats, and proliferation, cytokine production, and autophagy biomarkers were detected. Hemorrhagic shock reduced CD4 + T cell proliferation and production of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, and tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8-like 2 (TIPE2). SGB or administration of the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) normalized these indicators. In contrast, administration of rapamycin (RAPA) autophagy agonist or intravenous injection of PHSML inhibited the beneficial effects of SGB on CD4 + T cells from hemorrhagic shocked rats. Furthermore, PHSML incubation decreased proliferation and cytokine production, increased LC3 II/I and Beclin-1 expression, and reduced p-PI3K and p-Akt expression in normal CD4 + T cells. These adverse effects of PHSML were also abolished by 3-MA administration, as well as incubation with PHSML obtained from SGB-treated rats. SGB improves splenic CD4 + T cell function following hemorrhagic shock, which is related to the inhibition of PHSML-mediated autophagy., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

In order to understand the role of symbionts for their insect hosts, it is customary to treat them with antibiotics or to sterilize eggs (treatments), resulting in aposymbiotic and axenic insects, respectively. Such axenic insects can then be compared with untreated controls. Fruit flies often bear complex communities which are greatly reduced by such treatments. However, the bacterial community is not completely eliminated. Here, we examine the effect of these procedures on the structure of the remaining bacterial communities in Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae) and on the insect longevity. The antibiotics (Norfloxacin and Ceftazedime) were administered to 1-day-old adult flies through sugar meal for 7 days, and eggs were surface sterilized and dechorionated to produce axenic lines. The flies were starved of protein before they were offered full diets or diets containing non-essential amino acids only. Antibiotic and egg disinfection treatments resulted in a significant reduction of the vast majority of gut bacterial populations, especially Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. On the other hand, antibiotic allowed the persistence of Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria and Acidobacteria populations. In untreated control flies, longevity was extended irrespective of diet quality in comparison to treated flies. Conversely, when gut bacteria were largely reduced (aposymbiotic and axenic flies), longevity was reduced in the non-essential amino acids diet treatment versus slightly improved in the presence of a protein diet. We discuss these results in an ecological-life-history perspective., (© 2021 The Authors.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to clarify the role of autophagy in stellate ganglion block (SGB) reversing posthemorrhagic shock mesenteric lymph (PHSML)-mediated vascular hyporeactivity. Methods: Hemorrhagic shock model in conscious rats was employed to observe the effects of SGB (0.2 ml of 0.25% ropivacaine hydrochloride hydrate) and autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA; 30 mg/kg) on the vascular reactivity of second-order rat mesenteric arteries in vitro , while the effects of PHSML (1 ml/kg) and autophagy agonist rapamycin (Rapa, 10 mg/kg) on the beneficial effect of SGB were investigated. The cellular viability, contractility, and autophagy-related protein expressions in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were detected following treatments of PHSML, PHSML obtained from the rats that underwent hemorrhagic shock plus SGB (PHSML-SGB), and PHSML plus 3-MA (5 mM), respectively. Results: Hemorrhagic shock significantly decreased the vascular reactivity to gradient norepinephrine (NE), which is reversed by the SGB treatment and 3-MA administration. On the contrary, PHSML intravenous infusion and Rapa administration inhibited the vascular contractile responses in rats that underwent hemorrhagic shock plus SGB treatment. PHSML treatment significantly inhibited the cellular viability and contractility in VSMCs, increased the expressions of LC3-II and Beclin 1, and decreased the expression of p62, along with opposite appearances in these indices following PHSML-SGB treatment. In addition, 3-MA counteracted the adverse roles of PHSML in these indices in VSMCs. Conclusion: SGB inhibits PHSML-mediated vascular hyporeactivity by reducing the excessive autophagy in VSMCs., 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 © 2021 Wang, Du, Zhao, Zhai, Zhang, Niu and Zhao.)

Objective: To examine the application value of alternative pancreatic fistula risk score system(a-FRS) for patients with clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula(CR-POPF) after laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy(LPD). Methods: Clinical data of 400 patients who underwent LPD at Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery,Jilin University First Hospital,from April 2015 to August 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.There were 217 males and 183 females, with age of ( M ( Q R )) 58 (53) years (range:26 to 93 years) and body mass index of (23.0±2.7) kg/m 2 (range:19.4 to 27.1 kg/m 2 ).Preoperative CA19-9 was (171.6±212.7) U/ml (range:32.1 to 762.6 U/ml), and preoperative CA125 was (18.6±22.9) U/ml (range:9.0 to 112.3 U/ml).Univariate analysis and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were implemented to find independent risk factors in CR-POPF.According to 3 indicators of a-FRS system(pancreatic texture,main pancreatic duct diameter,and body mass index),receiver operator characteristic curve was used to prospectively analyze the clinical value of CR-POPF. Results: CR-POPF occurred in 60 patients(15.0%) among the 400 LPD patients,including 54 patients(13.5%) with grade B pancreatic fistula and 6 patients(1.5%) with grade C pancreatic fistula.Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis results showed that soft pancreas,diameter of main pancreatic duct ≤3 mm,and body mass index>23 kg/m 2 were the independent risk factors for CR-POPF after LPD.The incidence of CR-POPF was 1.9% in the group with low pancreatic fistula risk(0 to 5%),5.9% with moderate pancreatic fistula risk(>5% to 20%),and 80.7% with high pancreatic fistula risk(>20%).a-FRS prospectively predicted the sensitivity and specificity of CR-POPF after LPD was 76.7% and 96.8%,positive predictive value was 80.7%,negative predictive value was 95.9%,positive likelihood ratio was 23.66,negative likelihood ratio was 0.24,and area under the curve was 0.735(95% CI :0.668-0.799). Conclusion: a-FRS system has great clinical application value in predicting CR-POPF after LPD,which can provide basis for early risk prediction of CR-POPF and timely related clinical intervention.

Objective: To study the effect of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) on free fatty acid (FFA)-induced hepatocyte steatosis, and to explore its autophagic role in this process. Methods: Human hepatocytes were cultured in vitro to induce NAFLD cell model. Liraglutide (LRG) concentration gradient was added to observe the effect on cell survival rate and fatty degeneration of liver cells. The relationship between liraglutide and autophagy was investigated with chloroquine inhibition and rapamycin (RAPA) activation in hepatocyte steatosis. Experimental group: control group: a certain concentration of BSA was added to cells cultured in DMEM complete medium; FFA model group: fatty degeneration of hepatocytes was induced by 1mmol/L FFA (OA : PA=2 : 1); LRG group: FFA (1 mmol/L) and LRG (100 nmol/L) were added to the cells at the same time; autophagy inhibition group: FFA (1 mmol/L), LRG (100 nmol/L), and chloroquine (20 μmol/L) were added to the cells at the same time; autophagy activated group: FFA (1 mmol/L) and RAPA (1 μmol/L) were added to the cells at the same time. Oil red O staining and fully automated biochemistry analyzer were used to observe the intracellular lipidosis condition. Western blotting was used to detect the levels of autophagy-related proteins (Beclin1, P62, and LC3B). One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the means between multiple groups. Results: Within a certain concentration range, with the increase of LRG concentration, the hepatocytes survival rate was increased and the degree of intracellular lipidosis had continued to decrease. The best effect was achieved when LRG concentration reached 100nmol/L, and the difference was statistically significant when compared with the FFA group ( P < 0.01). During the exploration of the relationship between the degree of hepatic steatosis and autophagy, LRG group intracellular triglyceride content was significantly lower than FFA group ( P < 0.01), and the levels of Beclin1, LC3B-II/LC3B-I were higher than FFA group. Additionally, FFA group had reduced P62 level, and enhanced autophagy. Compared with the LRG group, autophagy inhibition group intracellular triglyceride content was increased ( P < 0.01), while the levels of Beclin1, LC3B-II/LC3B-I was decreased, and P62 level was increased. Autophagy activated group RAPA had significantly reduced FFA-induced intrahepatic triglyceride deposition, and the changes in autophagy-related protein levels were consistent with the effect of LRG. Conclusion: GLP-1RAs can alleviates FFA-induced lipotoxic liver cell damage, and promote autophagy to improve fatty degeneration of hepatocytes in NAFLD.

The mortality rate of critically ill patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is 30.9% to 46.1%. The emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has become a global issue with raising dire concerns. Patients with severe Covid-19 may progress toward ARDS. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be derived from bone marrow, umbilical cord, adipose tissue and so on. The easy accessibility and low immunogenicity enable MSCs for allogeneic administration, and thus they were widely used in animal and clinical studies. Accumulating evidence suggests that mesenchymal stem cell infusion can ameliorate ARDS. However, the underlying mechanisms of MSCs need to be discussed. Recent studies showed MSCs can modulate immune/inflammatory cells, attenuate endoplasmic reticulum stress, and inhibit pulmonary fibrosis. The paracrine cytokines and exosomes may account for these beneficial effects. In this review, we summarize the therapeutic mechanisms of MSCs in ARDS, analyzed the most recent animal experiments and Covid-19 clinical trial results, discussed the adverse effects and prospects in the recent studies, and highlight the potential roles of MSC therapy for Covid-19 patients with ARDS.

The aim is to investigate that 17β-estradiol (E2)/estrogen receptors (ERs) activation normalizes splenic CD4 + T lymphocytes proliferation and cytokine production through inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) following hemorrhage. The results showed that hemorrhagic shock (hemorrhage through femoral artery, 38-42 mmHg for 90 min followed by resuscitation of 30 min and subsequent observation period of 180 min) decreased the CD4 + T lymphocytes proliferation and cytokine production after isolation and incubation with Concanavalin A (5 μg/mL) for 48 h, induced the splenic injury with evidences of missed contours of the white pulp, irregular cellular structure, and typical inflammatory cell infiltration, upregulated the expressions of ERS biomarkers 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78) and activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6). Either E2, ER-α agonist propyl pyrazole triol (PPT) or ERS inhibitor 4-Phenylbutyric acid administration normalized these parameters, while ER-β agonist diarylpropionitrile administration had no effect. In contrast, administrations of either ERs antagonist ICI 182,780 or G15 abolished the salutary effects of E2. Likewise, ERS inducer tunicamycin induced an adverse effect similarly to that of hemorrhagic shock in sham rats, and aggravated shock-induced effects, also abolished the beneficial effects of E2 and PPT, respectively. Together, the data suggest that E2 produces salutary effects on CD4 + T lymphocytes function, and these effects are mediated by ER-α and GPR30, but not ER-β, and associated with the attenuation of hemorrhagic shock-induced ERS.

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a treatment modality for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Dextrose is a common osmotic agent used in PD solutions and its absorption may exacerbate diabetes mellitus, a common complication of ESRD. PD solutions also contain glucose degradation products (GDPs) that may lead to encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS), a severe complication of PD. A previous study showed that far-infrared (FIR) therapy improved a patient's gastrointestinal symptoms due to EPS. Due to limited literature on the matter, this study aims to investigate dialysate GDPs and peritoneal function in diabetic patients on PD. Thirty-one PD patients were enrolled and underwent 40 min of FIR therapy twice daily for six months. We demonstrated the effect of FIR therapy on the following: (1) decrease of methylglyoxal (p = 0.02), furfural ( p = 0.005), and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural ( p = 0.03), (2) increase of D/D0 glucose ratio ( p = 0.03), and (3) decrease of potassium levels ( p = 0.008) in both DM and non-DM patients, as well as (4) maintenance and increase of peritoneal Kt/V in DM and non-DM patients, respectively ( p = 0.03). FIR therapy is a non-invasive intervention that can decrease dialysate GDPs in PD patients by improving peritoneal transport rate and solute removal clearance, while also maintaining dialysis adequacy.

Background: The epicanthal fold is ordinary in the eyelids of Asians, and the aesthetic appearance of eyelid surgery could be reduced and undermined; thus, medial epicanthoplasty is commonly performed to eliminate the effect of the epicanthal fold with less scarring. At present, there are a lot of techniques that have been described for the treatment of epicanthal fold. The potential problems, however, such as visible scar or under correction in the medial canthus area are challenges to surgeons. The purpose of our study was to explore a novel and individualized design using a modified rectangle flap with acceptable functional and aesthetic outcomes., Methods: From January 2017 to January 2018, epicanthoplasty was performed for 40 patients by using a modified rectangle flap. All patients underwent double-eyelid surgery at the same time when they needed it. The evaluation criteria included the intercanthal distance (ICD), interpupillary distance (IPD), the ratio of ICD to IPD (ICD ratio), scar visibility, and cosmetic results., Results: From January 2017 to January 2018, the modified rectangle flap method was carried out on 40 patients, who were evaluated at follow-up from 7 to 15 months. The average intercanthal length was 36.9 ± 2.2 mm preoperatively and decreased significantly to 31.5 ± 1.8 mm postoperatively, 7 months after the surgery (P < 0.01). The excellent cosmetic results, in terms of an open medial canthus, were observed during follow-up periods, with no definite recurrence, hypertrophic scar, or injury of the lacrimal apparatus. The inner canthus and lacrimal caruncle are fully exposed with an invisible scar. Both the patients and the surgeon judged that the aesthetic outcomes were excellent or good., Conclusions: This modified rectangular flap is an effective and personalized method of correcting the medial folds that leave no additional scar in the medial canthal area, and the procedure meets the patient's aesthetic expectations., Level of Evidence Iv: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Background: Immune dysfunction is associated with posthemorrhagic shock mesenteric lymph (PHSML) return. To determine the proliferation and cytokine production capacity of CD4 + T lymphocytes, the effect of PHSML drainage on spleen CD4 + T lymphocytes in a mouse model of hemorrhagic shock was assessed., Methods: The normal spleen CD4 + T lymphocytes were in vitro incubated with either drained normal mesenteric lymph (NML), PHSML during hypotension (PHSML-H), or PHSML from 0 h to 3 h after resuscitation (PHSML-R) to verify direct proliferation effects of PHSML., Results: Hemorrhagic shock led to reduction of proliferation and mRNA expression of interleukin 2 (IL-2) and IL-2 receptor in CD4 + T lymphocytes and to decrease in IL-2 and interferon γ (IFN-γ) levels in supernatants. In contrast, the interleukin-4 levels were increased. These effects were reversed by PHSML drainage. Moreover, NML incubation promoted CD4 + T lymphocyte proliferation, whereas both PHSML-H and PHSML-R treatment had a biphasic effects on CD4 + T lymphocyte proliferation, exhibiting an enhanced effect at early stages and an inhibitory effect at later stages. Compared with NML, PHSML-H increased IL-2 expression at 12 h, but decreased expression of both IL-2 and IFN-γ at 24 h. By contrast, PHSML-R induced significant increases in IL-2 and IFN-γ levels at 24 h. Interleukin-4 expression in CD4 + T lymphocytes was reduced at 12 h, but augmented at 24 h after incubation with either PHSML-H or PHSML-R., Conclusions: The results indicate that PHSML has a direct inhibitory effect on CD4 + T lymphocyte proliferation that induces an inflammatory response, which is associated with cellular immune dysfunction., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Vascular endothelial injury caused by post-hemorrhagic shock mesenteric lymph (PHSML) return is an important manifestation during refractory hemorrhagic shock. Using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and transcriptome analysis, this study sought to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the adverse effect of PHSML on vascular endothelium. Post-hemorrhagic shock mesenteric lymph was collected from male rats after they underwent hemorrhagic shock and following resuscitation, while normal mesenteric lymph (NML) was harvested from sham rats. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were incubated with the culture medium containing either 10% phosphate buffered saline (Control), NML, or PHSML for 3 h, and then were harvested for RNA sequencing. In comparison with NML treated cells, 37 genes were differentially expressed in PHSML-treated HUVECs, including 32 upregulated genes and five downregulated genes. These differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in inflammatory pathways, including signaling pathways for activation of the NOD-like receptors, NF-κB, and TNF. Furthermore, we found that C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) was increased significantly after PHSML treatment, and Bindarit, a CCL2 production inhibitor, attenuated the damage of HUVECs induced by PHSML. The results provide molecular evidence on vascular endothelium damage caused by PHSML. C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 might represent a new target for reducing vascular injury after severe hemorrhagic shock., (Copyright © 2020 Wang, Chi, Wei, Zhao, Zhang, Zhang, Liu, Kang, Zhao, Wang, Nie, Niu and Zhao.)

Nonmagnetic graphene-based van der Waals heterotrilayers exhibit peculiar electronic features such as energetically and/or spatially resolved Dirac rings/cones. Here, using first-principles calculations we study the effect of magnetic proximity effect and mirror symmetry of antiferromagnetic CrAs 2 monolayer sandwiched between graphene on the Dirac cones. We clearly identify the common vertical shift of the Dirac bands in the spin up channel. While in the spin down channel, we surprisingly observe the remarkable transverse splitting Dirac cones. The underling mechanism can be attributed to the static electric field caused by the charge transfer between the interlayers, and the polarized field arising from the weakly magnetized graphene. Both fields collectively give rise to an inequivalent space inversion broken between graphene and CrAs 2 layers. Such unique Dirac states are absent in its nonmagnetic or ferromagnetic counterpart, ferromagnetic heterotrilayer with the glide symmetry, and graphene/CrAs 2 heterobilayer. Our findings would provide a new insight into the correlation between Dirac cones and magnetic monolayer sandwiched between graphene., (© 2020 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Background: Hemorrhagic shock-induced ischemia and hypoxia elicit endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) that leads to cell apoptosis, tissue structural damage and organ dysfunction and failure. Stellate ganglion blockade (SGB) has been demonstrated to improve intestinal barrier dysfunction induced by hemorrhagic shock. The present study sought to investigate whether the beneficial effect of SGB on the intestinal mucosal barrier function is via suppression of ERS. Materials and methods: A conscious rat model of hemorrhagic shock (40 ±2 mmHg for 1 hour, followed by resuscitation) was established. The parameters reflecting intestinal morphology and intestinal mucosal barrier function including wet-dry ratio (W/D), intestinal permeability, D-lactic acid (D-LA) and intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) in plasma, and expressions of ATF6α, PERK, and IRE1α in intestinal tissues were then observed. Furthermore, the effects of either SGB or ERS inhibitor, 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA), on these parameters in rats with hemorrhagic shock were assessed. The effect of ERS agonist tunicamycin (TM) on the rats subjected with both SGB and hemorrhagic shock was also determined. Results: Either SGB or administration of ERS inhibitor, 4-PBA, alleviated hemorrhagic shock-induced adverse effects such as intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunction and excessive autophagy, which were characterized by damaged intestinal tissue, enhanced intestinal permeability and D-LA and I-FABP levels in plasma, and increased expressions of ATF6α, PERK, IRE1α in intestinal tissue. In contrast, administration of ERS agonist, TM, suppressed the beneficial effects of SGB on intestinal tissue and function during hemorrhagic shock. Conclusion: The SGB repairs intestinal mucosal barrier through suppression of ERS following hemorrhagic shock., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: No benefits in any form have been received or will be received from a commercial association related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article. The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper., (© The author(s).)

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most frequent liver disease and associated with a wide spectrum of hepatic disorders ranging from nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). NASH is projected to become the most common indication for liver transplantation, and the annual incidence rate of NASH-related HCC is 5.29 cases per 1000 person-years. Owing to the epidemics of NAFLD and the unclear mechanism of NAFLD progression, it is important to elucidate the underlying NAFLD mechanisms in detail. NASH is mainly caused by the development of NAFL Therefore, it is also of great significance to understand the mechanism of progression from NAFL to NASH. Gene expression chip data for NAFLD and NASH were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between NAFLD and normal controls (called DEGs for NAFLD), as well as between NASH and normal tissue (called DEGs for NASH-Normal), and between NASH and NAFL tissue (called DEGs for NASH-NAFL). For DEGs for the NAFLD group, key genes were identified by studying the form of intersection. Potential functions of DEGs for NASH were then analyzed by gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. A protein-protein interaction network (PPI) was constructed using the STRING database. A total of 249 DEGs and one key gene for NAFLD were identified. For NASH-Normal, 514 DEGs and 11 hub genes were identified, three of which were closely related to the survival analysis of HCC, and potentially closely related to progression from NASH to HCC. One key gene for NASH-NAFL (AKR1B10) was identified. These genes appear to mediate the molecular mechanism underlying NAFLD and may be promising biomarkers for the presence of NASH., 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 © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: To study the effects of α-enolase ( ENO1 ) gene interference expression on proliferation, and cell cycle of follicular granulosa cells from Zi geese. Methods: F1 follicular granulosa cells were primary cultured (mixed culture), which were divided into four groups: ENO1 interference expression group (RNAi), unrelated sequence group (NC), culture group (Control), transfection reagent group (Lip). The apoptosis rate and cell cycle phase of the interference group and the control group were detected by the flow cytometry. Results: ENO1 gene interference expression slowed the proliferation of granulosa cells, increased the apoptosis, and increased the proportion of granulosa cells in G2/M phase. Conclusion: ENO1 gene interference expression could cause G2/M phase arrest in primary cultured goose follicular granulosa cells, induce cell apoptosis and inhibit cell proliferation.

Introduction: Enolases are enzymes in the glycolytic pathway, which catalyse the reversible conversion of D-2-phosphoglycerate into phosphoenol pyruvate in the second half of the pathway. In this research, the effects of α-enolase ( ENO1 ) on steroid reproductive-related hormone receptor expression and on hormone synthesis of primary granulosa cells from goose F1 follicles were studied., Material and Methods: Primary granulosa cells from the F1 follicles of eight healthy 8-month-old Zi geese were separated and cultured. An ENO1 interference expression vector was designed, constructed and transfected into primary cultured granulosa cells. The mRNA expression levels of follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), luteinising hormone receptor (LHR), oestrogen receptor α (ER α), oestrogen receptor β (ER β), growth hormone receptor (GHR) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) in the cells were evaluated as were the secretion levels of oestradiol, activin, progesterone, testosterone, inhibin and follistatin in cell supernatant., Results: α-enolase gene silencing reduced the expression of FSHR, LHR, ERα, ERβ, GHR, and IGFBP-1 mRNA, potentiated the secretion of oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and follistatin of granulosa cells, and hampered the production of activin and inhibin., Conclusion: ENO1 can regulate the reactivity of granulosa cells to reproductive hormones and regulate cell growth and development by adjusting their hormone secretion and reproductive hormone receptor expression. The study provided a better understanding of the functional action of ENO1 in the processes of goose ovary development and egg laying., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Conflict of Interests Statement: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this article., (© 2020 H. Ji et al. published by Sciendo.)

Background: Symbiotic bacteria play a critical role in insect's biology. They also offer great opportunities to improve on current pest management techniques. In order to exploit and integrate the roles played by the gut microbiota on pest management programs, a better understanding of the structural organization of the microbial community in the Chinese citrus fly Bactrocera minax is essential., Results: The results revealed a total of 162 OTUs at 97% similarity interval. The dominant bacteria phyla were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Antinobacteria and Firmicutes, with the Proteobacteria having the highest relative abundance (more than 80% in all life stages). There was also a shift in the dominant OTUs from the early developmental stages to the late developmental stages and adult stages in B. minax. These OTUs related to Klebsiella pneumoniae, Providencia rettgeri and Enterobacter aerogenes, respectively. Six bacteria OTU were shared by all the life stages. These belonged to the Enterobacteriaceae and the Enterococcaceae families., Conclusion: The common bacteria groups shared by all the life stages and other fruit flies could be important targets for further research. This should aim towards realizing how these bacteria affect the biology of the fly and how their relationship could be exploited in the development of sustainable management strategies against fruit flies.

Sex determination has been studied in the model lepidopteran species Bombyx mori, but it remains poorly understood in lepidopteran pests. In the present study, we identified and characterized the Masculinizer (Masc) gene in a Noctuidae pest species, Agrotis ipsilon. Sequence analysis revealed that AiMasc encodes a protein of 658 amino acids that has two CCCH-type zinc finger domains and two conserved cysteine residues (Cys-277 and Cys-280). We assessed the masculinizing activity of AiMasc in BmN cells and found that AiMasc induced expression of the male-specific doublesex isoform. Disruption of Masc via clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) in A. ipsilon caused abnormalities in abdominal segments and external genitalia, resulting in male-specific sterility. These results suggest that Masc participates in the process of sex determination in A. ipsilon. Successful identification of sex-determination gene in a pest species may enable the development of novel genetic approaches for pest control., (© 2018 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)

Background: Acute hemorrhage-induced excessive excitation of sympathetic-adrenal-medullary system (SAS) leads to gut hypoperfusion and barrier dysfunction, which is a critical event during hemorrhagic shock-induced multiple organ injury. Stellate ganglion blockade (SGB) has been widely used for suppression of sympathetic-adrenal-medullary system in the clinical practice. However, whether SGB improves intestinal barrier function after hemorrhagic shock remains unclear. Here, we hypothesized that the implementation of SGB restores intestinal barrier function and reduces gut injury., Materials and Methods: Male rats received the SGB pretreatment and underwent hemorrhagic shock followed by resuscitation. The 96-h survival rate, intestinal permeability and morphology, D-lactic acid concentration and diamine oxidase activity in plasma, and expressions of F-actin, Claudin-1, and E-cadherin in intestinal tissues were observed., Results: Pretreatment with SGB significantly enhances the 96-h survival rate in rats subjected to hemorrhagic shock (from 8.3% to 66.7%). Hemorrhagic shock reduced the coverage scale of intestinal mucus and intestinal villus width and height, enhanced the intestinal permeability to fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran 4 and D-lactic acid concentration in plasma, and decreased the expressions of F-actin, Claudin-1, and E-Cadherin in intestinal tissue. These hemorrhagic shock-induced adverse effects were abolished by SGB treatment., Conclusions: SGB treatment has a beneficial effect during hemorrhagic shock, which is associated with the improvement of intestine barrier function. SGB may be considered as a new therapeutic strategy for treatment of hemorrhagic shock., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Correct timing of diapause entry and exit is critical for a species' survival. While many aspects of insect diapause are well-studied, the mechanisms underlying diapause termination remain largely unknown. The Chinese citrus fly, Bactrocera minax , is a univoltine insect with an obligatory pupal diapause. The application of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) is known to terminate diapause in B. minax , and we used this approach, along with isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation technology, to determine the proteins associated with diapause termination in this fly. Among 2,258 identified proteins, 1,169 proteins significantly differed at 1, 2, and 5 days post-injection of 20E, compared with the solvent-injected control group. Functional annotation revealed that the majority of differentially expressed proteins were enriched in the core energy metabolism of amino acids, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates as well as in signal transduction pathways including PPAR signaling, Calcium signaling, Glucagon signaling, VEGF signaling, Ras signaling, cGMP-PKG signaling, and cAMP signaling. A combined transcriptomic and proteomic analysis suggested the involvement of energy metabolism in the response of diapause transition. RNA interference experiments disclosed that a 20E injection triggers diapause termination probably through non-genomic actions, rather than nuclear receptor mediated genomic actions. Our results provide extensive proteomic resources for insect diapause transition and offer a potential for pest control by incapacitating the regulation of diapause termination either by breaking diapause prematurely or by delaying diapause termination to render diapausing individuals at a high risk of mortality., (Copyright © 2019 Dong, Chen, Clarke and Niu.)

Background: The gut bacteria of tephritid fruit flies play prominent roles in nutrition, reproduction, maintenance and ecological adaptations of the host. Here, we adopted an approach based on direct observation of symbiotic or axenic flies feeding on dishes seeded with drops of full diet (containing all amino acids) or full diet supplemented with bacteria at similar concentrations to explore the effects of intestinal bacteria on foraging decision and fitness of Bactrocera dorsalis., Results: The results show that intestinal probiotics elicit beneficial foraging decision and enhance the female reproduction fitness and survival of B. dorsalis (symbiotic and axenic), yet preferences for probiotic diets were significantly higher in axenic flies to which they responded faster compared to full diet. Moreover, females fed diet supplemented with Pantoea dispersa and Enterobacter cloacae laid more eggs but had shorter lifespan while female fed Enterococcus faecalis and Klebsiella oxytoca enriched diets lived longer but had lower fecundity compared to the positive control. Conversely, flies fed sugar diet (negative control) were not able to produce eggs, but lived longer than those from the positive control., Conclusions: These results suggest that intestinal bacteria can drive the foraging decision in a way which promotes the reproduction and survival of B. dorsalis. Our data highlight the potentials of gut bacterial isolates to control the foraging behavior of the fly and empower the sterile insect technique (SIT) program through the mass rearing.

Insects possess highly developed olfactory systems which play pivotal roles in its ecological adaptations, host plant location, and oviposition behavior. Bactrocera minax is an oligophagous tephritid insect whose host selection, and oviposition behavior largely depend on the perception of chemical cues. However, there have been very few reports on molecular components related to the olfactory system of B. minax. Therefore, the transcriptome of B. minax were sequenced in this study, with 1 candidate chemosensory protein (CSP), 21 candidate odorant binding proteins (OBPs), 53 candidate odorant receptors (ORs), 29 candidate ionotropic receptors (IRs) and 4 candidate sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs) being identified. After that, we sequenced the candidate olfactory genes and performed phylogenetic analysis. qRT-PCR was used to express and characterize 9 genes in olfactory and non-olfactory tissues. Compared with GFP-injected fly (control), dsOBP21-treated B. minax and dsCSP-treated B. minax had lower electrophysiological response to D-limonene (attractant), suggesting the potential involvement of BminOBP21 and BminCSP genes in olfactory perceptions of the fly. Our study establishes the molecular basis of olfaction, tributary for further functional analyses of chemosensory processes in B. minax., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The β-delayed γ-ray spectroscopy of neutron-rich ^{123,125}Ag isotopes is investigated at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory of RIKEN, and the long-predicted 1/2^{-} β-emitting isomers in ^{123,125}Ag are identified for the first time. With the new experimental results, the systematic trend of energy spacing between the lowest 9/2^{+} and 1/2^{-} levels is extended in Ag isotopes up to N=78, providing a clear signal for the reduction of the Z=40 subshell gap in Ag towards N=82. Shell-model calculations with the state-of-the-art V&#95;{MU} plus M3Y spin-orbit interaction give a satisfactory description of the low-lying states in ^{123,125}Ag. The tensor force is found to play a crucial role in the evolution of the size of the Z=40 subshell gap. The observed inversion of the single-particle levels around ^{123}Ag can be well interpreted in terms of the monopole shift of the π1g&#95;{9/2} orbitals mainly caused by the increasing occupation of ν1h&#95;{11/2} orbitals.

The lower developmental threshold (LDT) and the number of developmental degree days (DDs) are fundamental parameters used to build phenology models that can be used to predict the timing of biological events during insect development. The Chinese citrus fly, Bactrocera minax (Enderlein) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is one of the most destructive citrus pest in China and Bhutan. This species overwinters as diapausing pupae in the soil before emerging as adults in the spring. In this study, B. minax collected from three representative geographical populations in China (Guizhou, Hubei, and Shaanxi) was used to conduct LDT experiments under laboratory conditions. Emergence data collected from pupae exposed to 10 constant temperatures was used to estimate the LDT and DDs required to complete pupal development for the three populations. The results show that LDT and DDs values for the Hubei and Shaanxi population are 11.9°C, 447.3 DDs and 11.5°C, 511.3 DDs, respectively. However, the geographic variation in pupal developmental rates was not statistically significant between the two populations. In addition, the Guizhou population was identified as a mixture of B. minax and B. tsuneonis (Miyake). The LDT and DDs values for the Hubei and Shaanxi populations obtained in this study can be used to predict adult emergence of naturally occurring field populations of B. minax within the majority of the citrus-growing production areas of China. These data can also be used in models to predict the risk of establishment of this species in the United States or other citrus-growing regions., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Characterizing differences in key functional traits between simple-leaved (SL) and compound-leaved (CL) tree species can contribute to a better understanding of the adaptive significance of compound leaf form. In particular, this information may provide a mechanistic explanation to the long-proposed fast-growth hypothesis of CL tree species. Here, using five SL and five CL tree species co-occurring in a typical temperate forest of Northeast China, we tested whether higher hydraulic efficiency underlies potentially high photosynthetic capacity in CL species. We found that the CL species had significantly higher hydraulic conductance at the whole-branch level than the SL species (0.52 ± 0.13 vs 0.15 ± 0.04 × 10-4 kg m-2 s-1 Pa-1, P = 0.029). No significant difference in net photosynthetic rate (14.7 ± 2.43 vs 12.5 ± 2.05 μmol m-2 s-1, P = 0.511) was detected between these two groups, but this was largely due to the existence of one outlier species in each of the two functional groups. Scrutinization of the intragroup variations in functional traits revealed that distinctions of the two outlier species in wood type (ring- vs diffuse-porous) from their respective functional groups have likely contributed to their aberrant physiological performances. The potentially high photosynthetic capacity of CL species seems to require ring-porous wood to achieve high hydraulic efficiency. Due to its limitation on leaf photosynthetic capacity, diffuse-porous wood with lower hydraulic conductivity largely precludes its combination with the 'throw-away' strategy (i.e., annually replacing the stem-like rachises) of compound-leaved tree species, which intrinsically requires high carbon assimilation rate to compensate for their extra carbon losses. Our results for the first time show clear differentiation in hydraulic architecture and CO2 assimilation between sympatric SL and CL species, which contributes to the probing of the underlying mechanism responsible for the potential fast growth of trees with compound leaves., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Bacteria inhabiting the gut of insects provide many benefits to their hosts, such as aiding in food digestion, reproduction, and immunity, tissue homeostasis, adaptation to environment and resistance to pathogen and pesticides. The cowpea beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus, is a serious cosmopolitan pest of pulses. This beetle has lent itself as a guinea pig for several ecological studies. It harbors a consortium of bacterial communities in its gut, but the evidence for their role in its physiology is fragmentary. In this work, we hypothesized that gut microbiota mediates C. maculatus resistance to dichlorvos (DDVP or O,O-dimethyl O-2,2-dichlorovinylphosphate) and represent the target of Lippia adoensis (Gambian Tea Bush) essential oil (EO). Symbiotic and aposymbiotic beetles were exposed to artificial cowpea seeds earlier treated with DDVP or EO. Adult mortality and changes in gut bacterial community composition and abundance were examined at F 1 and F 5 generations. The susceptibility of experimental beetles to DDVP was significantly affected by their symbiotic status. The adult mortality decreased across generations in DDVP treatments, and remained significantly higher in aposymbiotic groups. In EO treatments, the mortality was consistent irrespective of symbiotic status and experimental generations. When compared to DDVP and the Control, EO treatments had significantly lower bacterial richness and diversity, as well as lower abundance of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. These results support our hypothesis and describe the responses of gut microbial communities to pesticide treatments. This could be of interest for developing new management strategies of this pest.

A Zn II -based metal-organic framework (MOF) with a rare tcj topology has been solvothermally synthesized and displays relatively good thermal and chemical stabilities. Interestingly, the MOF can sensitively and selectively sense acetylacetone (acac) via a fluorescence enhancement effect with a detection limit of 0.10 ppm and good reusability, which demonstrates the first example of a MOF-based turn-on fluorescent sensor for acac.

The gut microbiome of insects directly or indirectly affects the metabolism, immune status, sensory perception and feeding behavior of its host. Here, we examine the hypothesis that in the oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis, Diptera: Tephritidae), the presence or absence of gut symbionts affects foraging behavior and nutrient ingestion. We offered protein-starved flies, symbiotic or aposymbiotic, a choice between diets containing all amino acids or only the non-essential ones. The different diets were presented in a foraging arena as drops that varied in their size and density, creating an imbalanced foraging environment. Suppressing the microbiome resulted in significant changes of the foraging behavior of both male and female flies. Aposymbiotic flies responded faster to the diets offered in experimental arenas, spent more time feeding, ingested more drops of food, and were constrained to feed on time-consuming patches (containing small drops of food), when these offered the full complement of amino acids. We discuss these results in the context of previous studies on the effect of the gut microbiome on host behavior, and suggest that these be extended to the life history dimension., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Searching for new stable free-standing atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials is of great interest in the fundamental and practical aspects of contemporary material sciences. Recently, the synthesis of layered SiAs single crystals has been realized, which indicates that their few layer structure can be mechanically exfoliated. Performing a first-principles density functional theory calculations, we proposed two dynamically and thermodynamically stable semiconducting SiAs and SiAs 2 monolayers. Band structure calculation reveals that both of them exhibit indirect band gaps and an indirect to direct band even to metal transition are found by application of strain. Moreover, we find that SiAs and SiAs 2 monolayers possess much higher carrier mobility than MoS 2 and display anisotropic transportation like the black phosphorene, rendering them potential application in optoelectronics. Our works pave a new route at nanoscale for novel functionalities of optical devices.

Objectives: Abnormal rheological properties induce adverse effects during sepsis. This study sought to investigate the hypothesis that resveratrol (Res) improves blood rheological properties in rats following a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge, and provide a novel approach for treatment of sepsis. Methods: The rats were intraperitoneally or intramuscularly injected with vehicle, LPS (8 mg/kg), Res (30 mg/kg), or both to yield four groups: control, Res, LPS, and LPS + Res. After 6 h of LPS and/or Res injection, the mean arterial pressure (MAP), regional blood flow, erythrocyte and leukocyte parameters, and blood viscosity were observed. Results: LPS administration had no significant effects on the erythrocyte parameters and plasma viscosity. LPS administration reduced the MAP, whole blood viscosity at low and medium shear rates, the blood flow in the spleen and kidney, and the leukocyte content in whole blood when compared to control group, and increased the myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in lung. Treatment with Res alone had no effects on most of parameters observed except increasing the whole blood relative viscosity. However, Res treatment after LPS resulted in further decrease in whole blood viscosity at high and medium shear rates. Furthermore, Res treatment conversely decreased the red blood cell distribution width-CV, blood flow of stomach, whole blood relative viscosity and MPO activity in lung, and increased the leukocyte content, but did not restore LPS-induced decrease in MAP and the blood flow in the spleen and kidney. Conclusion: The Res treatment partly reduce the whole blood viscosity and regional blood flow, and increase WBC content in peripheral blood following the LPS challenge, suggesting a favorable role in expanding the quasi-sympathetic effects of LPS in blood viscosity at early stages.

Objective: To investigate interaction between autophagy and PKC-ε in lipid metabolism of NAFLD cell models., Methods: HL-7702 cells and SK-HEP-1 cells were cultured in vitro as NAFLD cell models and treated with RAPA to induce autophagy. 3-MA was used to inhibit cell autophagy. And HL-7702 and SK-HEP-1 cell were ordinary cultured as control groups. Cell viability was determined by MTT colorimetric assay. The levels of TG, TC and PKC-ε were detected by ELISA. PKC-ε was detected by IF. LC3-II/LC3-I, P62, IRS-1, IRS-2, PI3Kp85, mTOR were detected by Western-blot. SPSS 20 software was used for statistical analysis., Results: The values of PKC-ε were the highest in the steatosis groups (HL-7702 cells were 91.10%, SK-HEP-1 cells were 98.20%). Compared with the steatosis groups, the LC3-II/LC3-I ratio in the induced autophagy groups increased obviously (p <0.05). P62/β-actin grayscale ratio of the induced autophagy groups decreased significantly compared with the steatosis group (p <0.05). MTOR/β-actin grayscale ratio in the induced autophagy groups were significantly lower than those in the steatosis groups (p <0.05). PI3Kp85, IRS-1 and IRS-2/β-actin grayscale ratio of the induced autophagy groups increased significantly compared with the steatosis group (p <0.05)., Conclusion: Up-regulation of autophagy can promote the elimination of liver fat; while down-regulation can promote lipid accumulation. The expression of PKC-ε is positively related to the degree of hepatic steatosis. PI3K was involved in both autophagy and IR induced by PKC-ε. PKC-ε might participate in hepatocyte autophagy by regulating PI3K., (Copyright © 2018 IMSS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)