Search

Introduction and Aims: The histological and morphological differences in soft tissue between natural teeth and peri-implant may result in different clinical effectiveness to free gingival graft (FGG). This research aims to investigate the different efficacy of FGG in augmenting keratinized tissue width (KTW) between tooth and implant sites while evaluating its medium-term stability over a 2- to 5-year follow-up., Methods: In this study, 29 patients underwent FGG to address insufficient clinical scenarios when KTW <2 mm at the buccal aspect, including 37 implant sites and 33 natural teeth sites both in posterior regions were included. The KTW and gingival margin position (GMP) of these sites was assessed by measuring the intra-oral photographs which were taken at 0 days (T0), 3-month (T1), 6-month (T2), 12-month post-surgery (T3), and 2 to 5 years follow-up (T4)., Results: The results revealed that KTW increased significantly in both groups. However, the natural teeth group showed significantly less graft shrinkage (GS) than the implants group. (Teeth: 2.05 ± 0.51 mm and 25.42% ± 6.45%; Implants: 3.18 ± 0.65 mm and 38.92% ± 5.39%, P <.01). From T1 to T4. The gingival margin coronally advanced by 0.47 ± 0.51 mm and 0.18 ± 0.43 mm for the natural teeth and implants group, respectively (P<.05)., Conclusions: A greater KTW reduction after FGG was observed at implants versus natural teeth. And, the graft surrounding implants after crown restoration was stable for up to 2 to 5 years., Clinical Relevance: By comparing the changes in KTW around natural teeth and implants following FGG to investigate whether there are differences between them and the degree of differences. Additionally, this allows us to explore whether the restorations impact the effect of FGG. This research can assist clinicians in selecting an appropriate amount of soft tissue during surgery to achieve treatment goals, reduce postoperative discomfort for patients, and enhance predictability in clinicians' ability to increase keratinized tissue. Furthermore, by observing changes in the position of GMP around natural teeth and implants, the effectiveness of FGG in root coverage can be understood, thus improving the predictability of FGG for root coverage., Competing Interests: Conflict of 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 © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Our previous research reported the influence of 50 μM selenium (Se) on the cytosolization (endocytosis) pathway, which in turn stimulates the growth and development of Bombyx mori. Lately, dynamin is recognized as one of the key proteins in endocytosis. To explore the underlying mechanisms of Se impact, the dynamin gene was knocked down by injecting siRNAs (Dynamin-1, Dynamin-2, and Dynamin-3). This was followed by an analysis of the target gene and levels of silk protein genes, as well as growth and developmental indices, Se-enrichment capacity, degree of oxidative damage, and antioxidant capacity of B. mori. Our findings showed a considerable decrease in the relative expression of the dynamin gene in all tissues 24 h after the interference and a dramatic decrease in the silkworm body after 48 h. RNAi dynamin gene decreased the silkworm body weight, cocoon shell weight, and the ratio of cocoon. In the meantime, malondialdehyde level increased and glutathione level and superoxide dismutase/catalase activities decreased. 50 μM Se markedly ameliorated these growth and physiological deficits as well as decreases in dynamin gene expression. On the other hand, there were no significant effects on fertility (including produced eggs and laid eggs) between the interference and Se treatments. Additionally, the Se content in the B. mori increased after the dynamin gene interference. The dynamin gene was highly expressed in the silk gland and declined significantly after interference. Among the three siRNAs (Dynamin-1, Dynamin-2, and Dynamin-3), the dynamin-2 displayed the highest interference effects to target gene expression. Our results demonstrated that 50 μM Se was effective to prevent any adverse effects caused by dynamin knockdown in silkworms. This provides practical implications for B. mori breeding industry., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Object recognition often involves the brain segregating objects from their surroundings. Neurophysiological studies of figure-ground texture segregation have yielded inconsistent results, particularly on whether V1 neurons can perform figure-ground texture segregation or just detect texture borders. To address this issue from a population perspective, we utilized two-photon calcium imaging to simultaneously record the responses of large samples of V1 and V4 neurons to figure-ground texture stimuli in awake, fixating macaques. The average response changes indicate that V1 neurons mainly detect texture borders, while V4 neurons are involved in figure-ground segregation. However, population analysis (SVM decoding of PCA-transformed neuronal responses) reveal that V1 neurons not only detect figure-ground borders, but also contribute to figure-ground texture segregation, although requiring substantially more principal components than V4 neurons to reach a 75 % decoding accuracy. Individually, V1/V4 neurons showing larger (negative/positive) figure-ground response differences contribute more to figure-ground segregation. But for V1 neurons, the contribution becomes significant only when many principal components are considered. We conclude that V1 neurons participate in figure-ground segregation primarily by defining the figure borders, and the poorly structured figure-ground information V1 neurons carry could be further utilized by V4 neurons to accomplish figure-ground segregation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Sanguinoderma ( Ganodermataceae ) is recognized as a valuable medicinal resource in Taiwan, China. Additionally, it serves as a traditional folk medicine for treating neurotic epilepsy in Malaysia. This study involved the collection of six specimens of Sanguinoderma from Yunnan Province, China. Employing multigene phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences, including internal transcribed spacer (ITS), nuclear large subunit (LSU), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit ( rpb 2), translation elongation factor 1-alpha ( tef 1-α), mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU), nuclear small subunit (nSSU) and morphological examinations, three new species, viz. Sanguinoderma concentricum , S. dehongense and S. ovisporum , are introduced. Sanguinoderma concentricum is characterized by a central stipe basidiomata, an orbicular to suborbicular pileus, a grayish-yellow surface with alternating concentric zones and wavy margin-like petals and regular pileipellis cells (4-8 × 17-28 μm). Sanguinoderma dehongense is characterized by a long stipe and flabelliform basidiomata, a dark-grayish yellow-to-dark-yellow pileus surface, irregular pileipellis cells and wavy margin and ellipsoid basidia (8-11 × 9-13 μm). Sanguinoderma ovisporum is characterized by a reniform basidiomata, a heterogeneous context and ovoid basidiospores (7.5-8.6 × 5.5-7.2 µm). A detailed description and illustrations of these new species are provided, as well as a morphological comparison with similar taxa.

Two new species Laccariapseudoalba and L.subroseoalbescens are described and illustrated, based on morphological characteristics and molecular phylogenetic analysis. Two new records, Laccariaumbilicata and L.yunnanensis from Thailand, are also reported. Laccariasubroseoalbescens is characterized by small basidiomata, stipe equal with an enlarged base, and nearly subclavate, pale pink to light orange. Laccariapseudoalba is characterized by pale orange to orange white pileus, has umbo when young on the pileus, and fistulose stipe of the pale to pastel red color. Phylogenetic analysis based on sequence data from rDNA internal transcribed spacer ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA (ITS), nuc 28S rDNA (28S), RNA polymerase II subunit 2 (rpb2), and translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1-α) are provided as further evidence. Molecular analysis confirms the phylogenetic positions of the two new species and two new records. The differences in characteristics of these two new species and closely related species are discussed herein., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Song-Ming Tang, Santhiti Vadthanarat, Bhavesh Raghoonundon, Zong-Long Luo, Xin-Yu Zhu, Feng-Ming Yu, Jun He, Shu-Hong Li.)

Sodium thiosulfate has been used for decades in the treatment of calciphylaxis and cyanide detoxification, and has recently shown initial therapeutic promise in critical diseases such as neuronal ischemia, diabetes mellitus, heart failure and acute lung injury. However, the precise mechanism of sodium thiosulfate remains incompletely defined and sometimes contradictory. Although sodium thiosulfate has been widely accepted as a donor of hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), emerging findings suggest that it is the executive signaling molecule for H 2 S and that its effects may not be dependent on H 2 S. This article presents an overview of the current understanding of sodium thiosulfate, including its synthesis, biological characteristics, and clinical applications of sodium thiosulfate, as well as the underlying mechanisms in vivo. We also discussed the interplay of sodium thiosulfate and H 2 S. Our review highlights sodium thiosulfate as a key player in sulfide signaling with the broad clinical potential for the future., 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 © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The distal aspect of the second molar (d-M2) often exhibits infrabony defects due to the adjacent third molar. Although the defects can be treated by guided tissue regeneration (GTR) after removing the third molar, the optimal timing remains uncertain following third molar removal in clinical decision-making. This study aimed to compare delayed and immediate GTR treatments to assist in clinical decision-making., Methods: D-M2 infrabony defects with a minimum 1-year follow-up were collected and divided into three groups: Immediate GTR group, which underwent third molar extraction and received GTR simultaneously; Delayed GTR group, which underwent delayed GTR at least 3 months after third molar extraction; and Control group, which underwent only scaling and root planing during third molar extraction. The clinical and radiographic parameters related to the infrabony defect before GTR and post-surgery were evaluated using the Kruskal-Wallis test or one-way ANOVA, followed by post-hoc Dunn's test or the Bonferroni test for pairwise comparisons., Results: A total of 109 d-M2 infrabony defects were assessed. No significant differences were found between the two GTR groups, although both of them showed significant reductions in infrabony defect depth: the immediate GTR group (2.77 ± 1.97 mm vs. 0.68 ± 1.03 mm, p < 0.001) and the delayed GTR group (2.98 ± 1.08 mm vs. 0.68 ± 1.03 mm, p < 0.001) compared to the control group., Conclusion: GTR can effectively improve d-M2 infrabony defects when the third molar is removed, whether simultaneously or delayed. Patients may experience less discomfort with immediate GTR treatment as it requires only one surgery., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Recent studies have emphasized the beneficial effects of 50 μM selenium (Se) on the growth and development of the silkworm, Bombyx mori; however, less is known about its underlying mechanism. To unravel the effect of 50 μM Se on the silkworms with neutral endopeptidase 24.11-like gene (NEP-L) knockdown, we injected small interfering RNA (siRNA) into the body cavity of silkworms. Phenotypic characteristics, mRNA expression of the Nep-L gene, and enriched Se content were evaluated in silkworms from each treatment group. After injecting Nep-L siRNA, the body weight, cocoon quality (cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, and cocoon shell ratio), and egg production of silkworms were significantly reduced, without any significant effect on egg laying number. However, Se treatment could significantly alleviate the inhibition of body weight, and cocoon quality, without significant effects on egg laying number and production. In addition, the gene knockdown increased Se content in the B. mori. On the molecular level, the targeted Nep-L gene was inhibited significantly by siRNA interference, essentially with the strongest effect at 24 h after RNAi, followed by steady recovery. Among the three fragments, the siRNA of Nep-L-3 was the most effective in interfering with target gene expression. Nep-L gene showed the highest expression in Malpighian tubules (MTs). Both at the phenotypic and genotypic levels, our results show that Nep-L knockdown can exert a significant inhibitory effect on silkworms, and 50 μM Se can reverse the negative effect, which provides a practical prospect for strengthening the silkworm food industry., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Primates rely on two eyes to perceive depth, while maintaining stable vision when either one eye or both eyes are open. Although psychophysical and modeling studies have investigated how monocular signals are combined to form binocular vision, the underlying neuronal mechanisms, particularly in V1 where most neurons exhibit binocularity with varying eye preferences, remain poorly understood. Here, we used two-photon calcium imaging to compare the monocular and binocular responses of thousands of simultaneously recorded V1 superficial-layer neurons in three awake macaques. During monocular stimulation, neurons preferring the stimulated eye exhibited significantly stronger responses compared to those preferring both eyes. However, during binocular stimulation, the responses of neurons preferring either eye were suppressed on the average, while those preferring both eyes were enhanced, resulting in similar neuronal responses irrespective of their eye preferences, and an overall response level similar to that with monocular viewing. A neuronally realistic model of binocular combination, which incorporates ocular dominance-dependent divisive interocular inhibition and binocular summation, is proposed to account for these findings., Competing Interests: SZ, XZ, DJ, ST, CY No competing interests declared, (© 2024, Zhang, Zhao et al.)

Species of Grifola are famous edible mushrooms and are deeply loved by consumers around the world. Most species of this genus have been described and recorded in Oceania, Europe and South America, with only Grifolafrondosa being recorded in Asia. In this study, two novel species of Grifola from southwestern China (Asia) are introduced. Macro and micromorphological characters are described. Grifolaedulis sp. nov. present medium-size basidiomata with gray to gray-brown lobes upper surface, mostly tibiiform or narrowly clavate, rarely narrowly lageniform or ellipsoid chlamydospores, cuticle hyphae terminal segments slightly enlarged. Grifolasinensis sp. nov. has white to grayish white lobes upper surface, mostly ellipsoid, rarely narrowly utriform chlamydospores, and broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid basidiospores (4.6-7.9 × 3.0-5.9 μm). The two new species are supported by phylogenetic analyses of combined nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA (ITS) and β-tubulin ( TUBB ). Moreover, the genetic distance between TUBB sequences of those specimen from GenBank was 1.76-1.9%. Thus, the conspecificity relationship of our specimens remains uncertain, and further specimens are required to conclusively confirm its identity., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Objective: To understand the infection status of mycobacterium tuberculosis among health workers in tuberculosis designated medical institutions and explore the risk factors of infection. Methods: From September 2021 to June 2022, a questionnaire survey was conducted among health workers in relevant departments of 4 tuberculosis designated medical institutions by cluster stratified sampling, including the implementation of hospital infection control measures in medical institutions and occupational exposure of medical staff to mycobacterium tuberculosis. Peripheral blood interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs) and lung imaging examination were performed to determine the mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Factors with statistical significance in univariate analysis were included in multivariate logistic regression to analyze the risk factors of mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Results: A total of 657 people completed the lung imaging examination and questionnaire, of which 654 people had peripheral blood IGRAs detection, and the latent infection rate of tuberculosis was 39.45% (258/654) . Univariate analysis showed that age, sex, marital status, economic income, occupational category, professional title, length of service, and other variables had statistical significances in tuberculosis latent infection ( P <0.05) . In terms of personal health status, there were statistically significant differences in the distribution of health workers in terms of their tuberculosis history, tuberculosis history of their immediate family members, previous tuberculin skin test (TST) ( P <0.05) . Multivariate analysis showed that there were four risk factors related to tuberculosis, including professional title ( X (1)) , years of tuberculosis related works ( X (2)) , tuberculosis history ( X (3)) and previous TST ( X (4)) . The regression equation of the probability of tuberculosis among health workers was y =-1.920+0.246 X (1)+0.046 X (2)+1.231 X (3)+0.478 X (4). Conclusion: The latent infection rate of tuberculosis among health workers in tuberculosis designated medical institutions is high. It is necessary to strengthen the management of infection control, carry out regular screening, enhance the self-protection awareness of health workers, and reduce their exposure to mycobacterium tuberculosis and infection risk.

Background: Residents commonly receive only end-of-rotation evaluations and thus are often unaware of their progress during a rotation. In 2021, our neuroradiology section instituted mid-rotation feedback in which rotating residents received formative subjective and objective feedback. The purpose of this study was to describe our feedback method and to evaluate if residents found it helpful., Methods: Radiology residents rotate 3-4 times on the neuroradiology service for 1-month blocks. At the midpoint of the rotation (2 weeks), 7-10 neuroradiology attendings discussed the rotating residents' subjective performance. One attending was tasked with facilitating this discussion and taking notes. Objective metrics were obtained from our dictation software. Compiled feedback was relayed to residents via email. A 16-question anonymous survey was sent to 39 radiology residents (R1-R4) to evaluate the perceived value of mid-rotation feedback. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were computed using logistic regression., Results: Sixty-nine percent (27/39) of residents responded to the survey; 92.6% (25/27) of residents reported receiving mid-rotation feedback in ≥50% of neuroradiology rotations; 92.3% (24/26) of residents found the subjective feedback helpful; 88.4% (23/26) of residents reported modifying their performance as suggested (100% R1-R2 vs 70% R3-R4; OR: 15.4 CI:1.26, >30.0);59.1% (13/22) of residents found the objective metrics helpful (75% R1-R2 vs 40% R3-R4; OR: 3.92 CI:0.74, 24.39) and 68.2% (15/22) stated they modified their performance based on these metrics (83.3% R1-R2 vs 50.0% R3-R4; OR:4.2 CI:0.73, 30.55); and 84.6% (22/26) of residents stated that mid-rotation subjective feedback and 45.5% (10/22) stated that mid-rotation objective feedback should be implemented in other sections., Conclusions: Majority of residents found mid-rotation feedback to be helpful in informing them about their progress and areas for improvement in the neuroradiology rotation, more so for subjective feedback than objective feedback. The majority of residents stated all rotations should provide mid-rotation subjective feedback., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To analyze and compare the clinical and laboratory characteristics of macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD), and to evaluate the applicability of the 2016 European League Against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology/Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organization classification criteria for MAS complicating systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) in different auto-immune diseases contexts and to propose new diagnostic predictive indicators., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical and laboratory data of 24 SLE patients with MAS (SLE-MAS) and 24 AOSD patients with MAS (AOSD-MAS) who were hospitalized at Peking University People's Hospital between 2000 and 2018. Age- and sex-matched SLE (50 patients) and AOSD (50 patients) diagnosed in the same period without MAS episodes were selected as controls. The cutoff values for laboratory indicators predicting SLE-MAS and AOSD-MAS were determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Furthermore, the laboratory diagnostic predictive values for AOSD-MAS were used to improve the classification criteria for systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated MAS (sJIA-MAS), and the applicability of the revised criteria for AOSD-MAS was explored., Results: Approximately 60% of SLE-MAS and 40% of AOSD-MAS occurred within three months after the diagnosis of the underlying diseases. The most frequent clinical feature was fever. In addition to the indicators mentioned in the diagnosis criteria for hemophagocytic syndrome revised by the International Society for Stem Cell Research, the MAS patients also exhibited significantly elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase, along with a significant decrease in albumin. Hemophagocytosis was observed in only about half of the MAS patients. ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the optimal discriminative values for diagnosing MAS was achieved when SLE patients had ferritin level≥1 010 μg/L and lactate dehydroge-nase levels≥359 U/L, while AOSD patients had fibrinogen levels≤225.5 mg/dL and triglyceride levels≥2.0 mmol/L. Applying the 2016 sJIA-MAS classification criteria to AOSD-MAS yielded a diagnostic sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 62%. By replacing the less specific markers ferritin and fibrinogen in the 2016 sJIA-MAS classification criteria with new cutoff values, the revised criteria for classifying AOSD-MAS had a notable increased specificity of 86%., Conclusion: Secondary MAS commonly occurs in the early stages following the diagnosis of SLE and AOSD. There are notable variations in laboratory indicators among different underlying diseases, which may lead to misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis when using uniform classification criteria for MAS. The 2016 sJIA-MAS classification criteria exhibit high sensitivity but low specificity in diagnosing AOSD-MAS. Modification of the criteria can enhance its specificity.

More specimens of Hydnotrya have been collected from southwestern China in recent years. Morphological and molecular analyses showed that they belonged to three species of Hydnotrya , of which two are new to science, H.oblongispora and H.zayuensis . The third one was H.laojunshanensis , previously reported in 2013. The new species are described, and their relationship to other species of Hydnotrya is discussed. H.laojunshanensis is re-described in more detail. The main morphological characters of 17 species of Hydnotrya are compared and a key to them is provided as well., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Lin Li, Shan-Ping Wan, Yun Wang, Naritsada Thongklang, Song-Ming Tang, Zong-Long Luo, Shu-Hong Li.)

Wounds are in a stressed state, which precludes healing. Trehalose is a stress metabolite that protects cells under stress. Here, we explored whether trehalose reduces stress-induced wound tissue damage. A stress model was prepared by exposing human keratinocytes to hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), followed by trehalose treatment. Trehalose effects on expression of the autophagy-related proteins ATG5 and ATG7 and cell proliferation and migration were evaluated. For in vivo verification, a wound model was established in Sprague-Dawley rats, to measure the effects of trehalose wound-healing rate and reactive oxygen species (ROS) content. Histological changes during wound healing and trehalose's effects on ATG5 and ATG7 expression, necrosis, and apoptosis were examined·H 2 O 2 stress increased ATG5 and ATG7 expression in vitro, but this was insufficient to prevent stress-induced damage. Trehalose further increased ATG5/ATG7 levels, which restored proliferation and increased migration by depolymerizing the cytoskeleton. However, trehalose did not exert these effects after ATG5 and ATG7 knockout. In vivo, the ROS content was higher in the wound tissue than in normal skin. Trehalose increased ATG5/ATG7 expression in wound tissue keratinocytes, reduced necrosis, depolymerized the cytoskeleton, and promoted cell migration, thereby promoting wound healing., Competing Interests: Declaration of interest We declare that we have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background/aims: To identify normative values and determinants for Bruch's membrane opening (BMO) and the minimum rim width of BMO (BMO-MRW) among healthy children., Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study from the Hong Kong Children Eye Study, recruiting 1, 226 children aged 6-8 years. Spherical refractive error, axial length (AL), body mass index and intraocular pressure (IOP) were measured. The optic nerve head and the peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (p-RNFL) were imaged through spectral domain-optical coherence tomography, using 24 equally spaced radial B-scans. Global and sectoral BMO-MRW values, BMO area and fovea-to-BMO (FoBMO) angle were calculated. Multiple regression analysis was performed to define the determinants of BMO area and BMO-MRW in relation to demographic and ocular parameters., Results: The mean values for global BMO-MRW, BMO area and FoBMO angle among children were 345.76±54.08 µm, 2.34±0.49 mm 2 and -5.45±4.36°, respectively. Global and sectoral values for BMO-MRW correlated with p-RNFL thickness (r=0.11-0.35, p<0.001). After adjusting for demographic and ocular parameters, global BMO-MRW increased with age (β=6.4, p<0.001) and greater global p-RNFL thickness (β=1.41, p<0.001), but decreased with larger BMO area (β=-47.46, p<0.001) and higher IOP (β=-1.73, p<0.001). Global BMO-MRW did not associate with AL, whereas both BMO area and FoBMO angle associated with AL (β=0.04, p=0.02 and β=0.31, p=0.03, respectively), but not with age., Conclusion: We observed that BMO-MRW increases with age among children. Our results provide normative values and the determinants of BMO parameters among Chinese children., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

The tachinid fly, Exorista sorbillans, is a notorious ovolarviparous endoparasitoid of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, causing severe damage to silkworm cocoon industry. Silkworm larvae show typically precocious wandering behavior after being parasitized by E. sorbillans; however, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unexplored. Herein, we investigated the changes in the levels of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) and juvenile hormone (JH) titer, and they both increased in the hemolymph of parasitized silkworms. Furthermore, we verified the expression patterns of related genes, which showed an upregulation of 20E signaling and biosynthesis genes but a significant downregulation of ecdysone oxidase (EO), a 20E inactivation enzyme, in parasitized silkworms. In addition, related genes of the JH signaling were activated in parasitized silkworms, while related genes of the JH degradation pathway were suppressed, resulting in an increase in JH titer. Notably, the precocious wandering behavior of parasitized silkworms was partly recoverable by silencing the transcriptions of BmCYP302A1 or BmCYP307A1 genes. Our findings suggest that the developmental duration of silkworm post parasitism could be shortened by regulation of 20E and JH titers, which may help silkworm to resist the E. sorbillans infestation. These findings provide a basis for deeper insight into the interplay between silkworms and E. sorbillans and may serve as a reference for the development of a novel approach to control silkworm myiasis., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America.)

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the habitual reading distance among non-myopic children and also myopic children with undercorrection and with full correction., Methods: This was a population-based cross-sectional study with a total of 2363 children aged 6-8 years who were recruited from the Hong Kong Children Eye Study. Cycloplegic autorefraction, subjective refraction, habitual visual acuity, and best corrected visual acuity were measured. The entire reading process (9 min) was recorded using a hidden video camera placed 5 m away from the reading desk. Reading distances were taken at 6, 7, 8, and 9 min after the child began reading and were measured using a customized computer program developed in MATLAB. The main outcome was the association of habitual reading distances with refraction status. Habitual reading distances of children were documented via video camera footage., Results: The habitual reading distances of undercorrected myopic children (23.37 ± 4.31 cm) were the shortest when compared to non-myopic children (24.20 ± 4.73 cm, P = 0.002) and fully corrected myopic children (24.81 ± 5.21 cm, P < 0.001), while there was no significant difference between the last two children groups (P = 0.17). A shorter reading distance was associated with myopia (OR 1.67; 95% CI 1.11-2.51; P = 0.013) after adjusting for age, sex, height, near work time, outdoor time, and parental myopia. The association of reading distance with myopia did not hold after undercorrected myopic children were excluded (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.55-1.73; P = 0.92). A shorter reading distance correlated with poorer vision under habitual correction (β = - 0.003, P < 0.001)., Conclusion: A shorter reading distance was present among undercorrected myopic children. Myopia undercorrection is not recommended as a strategy for slowing myopic progression., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Two new species, Termitomycestigrinus and T.yunnanensis are described based on specimens collected from southwestern China. Termitomycesyunnanensis is morphologically characterized by a conspicuously venose pileus surface that is grey, olive grey, light grey to greenish grey at center, light grey towards margin, and a cylindrical white stipe. Termitomycestigrinus is morphologically characterized by a densely tomentose to tomentose-squamulose pileus showing alternating greyish white and dark grey zones, and a stipe that is bulbous at the base. The two new species are supported by phylogenetic analyses of combined nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA (ITS), the mitochondrial rDNA small subunit (mrSSU) and the nuclear rDNA large subunit (nrLSU). The morphological variability of T.intermedius , including five specimens newly collected from Yunnan Province, China, is also discussed. The collections showed variability in colour of the stipe surface and in the shape of cheilocystidia when compared to the original description. Full descriptions of the two new species and of T.intermedius , as well as a taxonomic key to the 14 Termitomyces species reported from China are provided., (Song-Ming Tang, Santhiti Vadthanarat, Jun He, Bhavesh Raghoonundon, Feng-Ming Yu, Samantha C. Karunarathna, Shu-Hong Li, Olivier Raspé.)

The purpose of this study was to investigate not only the participating in housework but also the parents' attitude and child's preference, in relation to children's health and housework participation in Taiwan. We collected data from the Young Children's Housework Participation Questionnaire on "Google forms". A total of 755 parents with preschool children living in Keelung City, Taipei City, and New Taipei City participated through the snowball method. The results showed that children's health not only directly affected their housework performance but also indirectly influenced their housework participation through the serial multiple mediation of parents' attitude and the child's housework preference. Therefore, this study confirms that, when analyzing the factors of children's housework participation, it is necessary to have a clearer understanding of the relationship between variables to further construct a more complete model framework that affects children's housework participation. Additionally, it is very important for parenting education to improve parents' attitude towards the importance of children's housework and encourage children's preference for housework.

Ganoderma is a globally distributed genus that encompasses species with forestry ecological, medicinal, economic, and cultural importance. Despite the importance of this fungus, the studies on the species diversity of Ganoderma in Yunnan Province, China (YPC) have poorly been carried out. During this study, opportunistic sampling was used to collect 21 specimens of Ganoderma from YPC. Morphology and multigene phylogeny of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, the large subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nrLSU), the translation elongation factor 1-α gene (TEF1-α), and the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2) were used to identify them. Morphological and molecular characterization of the 21 specimens showed that they belong to 18 species of Ganoderma , of which three are novel viz. G. artocarpicola , G. obscuratum and G. yunnanense . Ganoderma artocarpicola is characterized by the sessile and concrescent basidiomata, reddish brown to yellowish brown pileus surface, heterogeneous context, wavy margin, and ovoid basidiospores. Ganoderma obscuratum is distinguished by small pores (6-9 per mm), dorsolaterally sub-stipitate basidiomata which become greyish-brown when dry, and narrow ellipsoid basidiospores. Ganoderma yunnanense is characterized by cream color pore surface and context, centrally to laterally stipitate basidiomata with reddish-brown to violet-brown strongly laccate pileus surface, and broadly ellipsoid basidiospores. With the help of an extensive literature survey and the results of this study, a checklist of 32 Ganoderma species from YPC was established, which accounts for 71.11% of the known species in China. In addition, a key to the Ganoderma in YPC is also provided., 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 He, Han, Luo, Li, Tang, Luo, Niu, Su and Li.)

Natural images comprise contours and boundaries defined by 1st-order luminance-modulated (LM) cues that are readily encoded by V1 neurons, and 2nd-order contrast-modulated (CM) cues that carry local, but not over-the-space, luminance changes. The neurophysiological foundations for CM processing remain unsolved. Here we used two-photon calcium imaging to demonstrate that V1 superficial-layer neurons respond to both LM and CM gratings in awake, fixating, macaques, with overall LM responses stronger than CM responses. Furthermore, adaptation experiments revealed that LM responses were similarly suppressed by LM and CM adaptation, with moderately larger effects by iso-orientation adaptation than by orthogonal adaptation, suggesting that LM and CM orientation responses likely share a strong orientation-non-selective subcortical origin. In contrast, CM responses were substantially more suppressed by iso-orientation than by orthogonal LM and CM adaptation, likely suggesting stronger orientation-specific intracortical influences for CM responses than for LM responses, besides shared orientation-non-selective subcortical influences. These results thus may indicate a subcortical-to-V1 filter-rectify-filter mechanism for CM processing: Local luminance changes in CM stimuli are initially encoded by orientation-non-selective subcortical neurons, and the outputs are half-wave rectified, and then summed by V1 neurons to signal CM orientation, which may be further substantially refined by intracortical influences., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The purposes of this study was to discover the circumstances in which people gain happiness from performing housework and to understand gender differences in housework-related happiness. We used national data from the Taiwan Social Change Survey conducted in 2011. Only married and cohabiting respondents were included in this study ( N = 1250). Two types of housework happiness were developed: the goal satisfaction type (GST) and the activity enjoyment type (AET), based on interview results in pilot studies and the concept of positive psychology. We found that the significant variables on the two types of housework-related happiness for the total sample were gender, socioeconomic status, gender role attitude, decision-making power, relative feminine housework, and respondent's health. In addition, the effects on the two types of housework-related happiness for males and females are different. Most people derive happiness from housework if their preferences for type of housework and their personal characteristics are matched. It is possible to transform an otherwise monotonous daily activity into a source of happiness through the process of understanding your housework preference type, learning to enjoy the beauty of housework, and creating fun with chores for families. However, the survey (TSCS) used in this study was carried out over 10 years ago (2011) and the results may be somewhat different in Taiwan today.

Phosphoacetyl glucosamine mutase (PGM) is the key gene for glycolysis of important metabolic pathways in silkworm, and H 2 S (7.5 μM) can promote the growth and development of silkworm. Herein, we used body cavity injection of small-interfering RNA (siRNA) to interfere with the PGM gene in H 2 S-treated silkworms. After RNA interference (RNAi), we investigated the growth and development of the silkworm. H 2 S treatment could significantly recover the inhibition of body weight, cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, and cocoon shell ratio by knocking down PGM gene in silkworm, without significant effects on eggs laying and production, and then analyzed the mRNA expression of PGM gene. The interference of siRNA significantly decreased the expression of targeted PGM gene and was concentrated in 48 h followed by gradual recovery. Three interference fragments also showed different interference effects, and siRNA of PGM-3 exerted the highest interference effect to the target gene expression. Fat body had the highest mRNA expression of PGM gene, and the best interference effect was observed after siRNA injection. The results showed that the gene based on H 2 S treatment may have an important impact on the growth and development of silkworm by affecting its metabolic pathway., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Purpose: (1) To compare the efficacy of continued and stopping treatment for 0.05%, 0.025%, and 0.01% atropine during the third year. (2) To evaluate the efficacy of continued treatment over 3 years. (3) To investigate the rebound phenomenon and its determinants after cessation of treatment., Design: A randomized, double-masked extended trial., Participants: A total of 350 of 438 children aged 4 to 12 years originally recruited into the Low-Concentration Atropine for Myopia Progression (LAMP) study., Methods: At the beginning of the third year, children in each group were randomized at a 1:1 ratio to continued treatment and washout subgroups. Cycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE) refraction and axial length (AL) were measured at 4-month intervals., Main Outcome Measures: Changes in SE and AL between groups., Results: A total of 326 children completed 3 years of follow-up. During the third year, SE progression and AL elongation were faster in the washout subgroups than in the continued treatment groups across all concentrations: -0.68 ± 0.49 diopters (D) versus -0.28 ± 0.42 D (P < 0.001) and 0.33 ± 0.17 mm versus 0.17 ± 0.14 mm (P < 0.001) for the 0.05%; -0.57 ± 0.38 D versus -0.35 ± 0.37 D (P = 0.004) and 0.29 ± 0.14 mm versus 0.20 ± 0.15 mm (P = 0.001) for the 0.025%; -0.56 ± 0.40 D versus -0.38 ± 0.49 D (P = 0.04) and 0.29 ± 0.15 mm versus 0.24 ± 0.18 mm (P = 0.13) for the 0.01%. Over the 3-year period, SE progressions were -0.73 ± 1.04 D, -1.31 ± 0.92 D, and -1.60 ± 1.32 D (P = 0.001) for the 0.05%, 0.025%, and 0.01% groups in the continued treatment subgroups, respectively, and -1.15 ± 1.13 D, -1.47 ± 0.77 D, and -1.81 ± 1.10 D (P = 0.03), respectively, in the washout subgroup. The respective AL elongations were 0.50 ± 0.40 mm, 0.74 ± 0.41 mm, and 0.89 ± 0.53 mm (P < 0.001) for the continued treatment subgroups and 0.70 ± 0.47 mm, 0.82 ± 0.37 mm, and 0.98 ± 0.48 mm (P = 0.04) for the washout subgroup. The rebound SE progressions during washout were concentration dependent, but their differences were clinically small (P = 0.15). Older age and lower concentration were associated with smaller rebound effects in both SE progression (P < 0.001) and AL elongation (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: During the third year, continued atropine treatment achieved a better effect across all concentrations compared with the washout regimen. 0.05% atropine remained the optimal concentration over 3 years in Chinese children. The differences in rebound effects were clinically small across all 3 studied atropine concentrations. Stopping treatment at an older age and lower concentration are associated with a smaller rebound., (Copyright © 2021 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To explore the abnormal manifestations and clinical features of patients with gout according to the location of crystal deposits: in articulars or in tendons., Methods: A total of 105 patients with gout who were continuously treated in the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of Peking University People's Hospital from June 2019 to December 2019 were selected and their knees, ankles, toes and painful joints and tendons were examined by high-frequency ultrasound. Then we grouped them according to the presence or absence of sodium urate crystals and the location of the crystals, collected their clinical data, and analyzed the clinical characteristics., Results: Among the 105 patients, 25 patients had no crystal deposits in the joints or tendons (as the non-crystal group), 43 patients had intra-articular crystals (as the joint group), and 37 patients had intra-tendon crystals with or without intra-articular crystals (as the tendon group). Among them, the most involved part of sodium urate crystals deposited in the joints was the metatarsophalangeal joint (29 cases, 67.4%), followed by knee joints (10 cases, 23.2%), ankle joints (9 cases, 20.9%). The most involved part of sodium urate crystals deposited in the tendon was the quadriceps tendon (16 cases, 43.2%), followed by the Achilles tendon (13 cases, 35.1%), the patellar tendon (12 cases, 32.4%), and the three heads of brachii tendons (5 cases, 13.5%). The three groups were compared using multi-sample analysis of variance/multi-sample rank sum test. Age, age of first increase in uric acid (UA), serum glucose (Glu) level and C reactive protein (CRP) were all significantly different. After multiple comparisons, compared with the non-crystal group, age, the age of first increase in uric acid, and CRP were significantly higher in the tendon group. There was no significant difference between the non-crystal group and the joint group. There was no significant difference between the tendon group and the joint group., Conclusion: In patients with gout, it is common for ultrasound to find crystals deposited in joints or tendons. The most commonly affected parts include the metatarsophalangeal joint, knee joint, ankle joint, quadriceps tendon, Achilles tendon, patellar tendon, and triceps tendon. There were significant differences among the three groups in age, age of first increase in uric acid, CRP and blood glucose, and the proportion of urinary calculi in patients with crystal deposits was significantly higher than those without crystal deposits.

Associations between corneal biomechanics, axial elongation and myopia are important but previous results are conflicting. Our population-based study aimed to investigate factors associated with corneal biomechanics, and their relationships with myopia in children and adults. Data from 3643 children and 1994 parents showed that children had smaller deformation amplitudes (DA) than parents ( p < 0.001). A larger DA was significantly associated with elongated axial length (AL; children: ß = 0.011; adults: ß = 0.0013), higher corneal curvature (children: ß = 0.0086; adults: ß = 0.0096), older age (children: ß = 0.010; adults: ß = 0.0013), and lower intraocular pressure (IOP; children: ß = -0.029; adults: ß = -0.031) in both cohorts. The coefficient of age for DA in children was larger than in adults ( p < 0.001), indicating that the DA change with age in children is faster than in adults. DA was significantly associated with spherical equivalent ( p < 0.001) resulting from its correlation with AL and corneal curvature. In conclusion, the cornea is more deformable in adults than in children, whereas corneal deformation amplitude increases faster with age in children than that in adults, along with AL elongation. Longer AL, steeper corneal curvature, older age and smaller IOP correspond to a more deformable cornea. The association between corneal deformation amplitude and refraction was mediated via AL and corneal curvature.

Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) has been recognized for its beneficial influence on physiological alterations. The development (body weight) and economic characteristics (cocoon weight, cocoon shell ratio, and cocoon shell weight) of silkworms were increased after continuous 7.5 µM H 2 S treatment. In the present study, gene expression changes in the fat body of silkworms at the 5th instar larvae in response to the H 2 S were investigated through comparative transcriptome analysis. Moreover, the expression pattern of significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at the 5th instar larvae was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) after H 2 S exposure. A total of 1200 (DEGs) was identified, of which 977 DEGs were up-regulated and 223 DEGs were down-regulated. Most of the DEGs were involved in the transport pathway, cellular community, carbohydrate metabolism, and immune-associated signal transduction. The up regulated genes under H 2 S exposure were involved in endocytosis, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, the citrate cycle (TCA cycle), and the synthesis of fibroin, while genes related to inflammation were down-regulated, indicating that H 2 S could promote energy metabolism, the transport pathway, silk synthesis, and inhibit inflammation in the silkworm. In addition, the expression levels of these genes were increased or decreased in a time-dependent manner during the 5th instar larvae. These results provided insight into the effects of H 2 S on silkworms at the transcriptional level and a substantial foundation for understanding H 2 S function.

Aims: To assess the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with myopia progression for polygenic risk prediction in children., Methods: Six SNPs ( ZC3H11B rs4373767, ZFHX1B rs13382811, KCNQ5 rs7744813, MET rs2073560, SNTB1 rs7839488 and GJD2 rs524952) were analysed in 1043 school children, who completed 3-year follow-up, using TaqMan genotyping assays. SNP associations with progression in spherical equivalent (SE) were analysed by logistic regression. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) were applied for computing the sum of the risk alleles of multiple SNPs corresponding to myopia progression, weighted by the effect sizes of corresponding SNPs., Results: GJD2 rs524952 showed significant association with fast progression (OR=1.32, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.59; p=0.003) and KCNQ5 rs7744813 had nominal association (OR=1.32, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.67; p=0.02). In quantitative traits locus analysis, GJD2 rs524952 and KCNQ5 rs7744813 were associated with progression in SE (β=-0.038 D/year, p=0.008 and β=-0.042 D/year, p=0.02) and axial elongation (β=0.016 mm/year, p=0.01 and β=0.017 mm/year, p=0.027). ZFHX1B rs13382811 also showed nominal association with faster progression in SE (β=-0.041 D/year, p=0.02). PRS analysis showed that children with the highest PRS defined by rs13382811, rs7744813 and rs524952 had a 2.26-fold of increased risk of fast myopia progression (p=4.61×10 -5 ). PRS was also significantly associated with SE progression (R 2 =1.6%, p=3.15×10 -5 ) and axial elongation (R 2 =1.2%, p=2.6×10 -4 )., Conclusions: In this study, multi-tiered evidence suggested SNPs in ZFHX1B , KCNQ5 and GJD2 as risk factors for myopia progression in children. Additional attention and appropriate interventions should be given for myopic children with high-risk PRS as defined by GJD2 rs524952, KCNQ5 rs7744813 and ZFHX1B rs13382811., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Ganodermadianzhongense sp. nov. and G.esculentum sp. nov. are proposed as two new species based on both phenotypic and genotypic evidences. Ganodermadianzhongense is characterized by the stipitate basidiomata, laccate and oxblood red pileus, gray white pore surface, duplex context and broadly ellipsoid basidiospores (9.0-12.5 × 6.5-9.0 μm) with coarse interwall pillars. Ganodermaesculentum is characterized by its basidiomata with slender stipe, white pore surface, homogeneous pileus context, and slightly truncate, narrow basidiospores (8.0-12.5 × 5.0-8.0 µm). Phylogenetic analyses were carried out based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF1-α) and the second subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2) sequence data. The illustrations and descriptions for the new taxa are provided., (Jun He, Zong-Long Luo, Song-Ming Tang, Yong-Jun Li, Shu-Hong Li, Hong-Yan Su.)

Tolypocladium , a diverse genus of fungicolous fungi belonging to Ophiocordycipitaceae , includes saprotrophic soil inhabitants, plant endophytes and pathogens of insects, nematodes, rotifers, and parasites of truffle-like fungi. Here, we review the research progress achieved for Tolypocladium regarding its taxonomy, species diversity, geographic distribution, host affiliations and ecological diversity. Furthermore, an undescribed taxon from China was established using morphology and multi-gene phylogeny. Tolypocladium inusitaticapitatum is introduced as a new species parasitizing ectomycorrhizal Elaphomyces species. It is diagnosed by its irregularly enlarged fertile heads and lemon, yellow-to-dark-brown, smooth and nearly cylindrical stipe. Phylogenetic analyses based on SSU, LSU, ITS, TEF 1- α and RPB 2 sequence data showed T. inusitaticapitatum to be an independent lineage separated from T. flavonigrum in the clade comprising T. capitatum , T. fractum and T. longisegmentatum . A key for identifying the sexual Tolypocladium species is also provided.

V1 neurons are functionally organized in orientation columns in primates. Whether spatial frequency (SF) columns also exist is less clear because mixed results have been reported. A definitive solution would be SF functional maps at single-neuron resolution. Here we used two-photon calcium imaging to construct first cellular SF maps in V1 superficial layers of five awake fixating macaques, and studied SF functional organization properties and neuronal tuning characteristics. The SF maps (850 × 850 μm 2 ) showed weak horizontal SF clustering (median clustering index = 1.43 vs. unity baseline), about one sixth as strong as orientation clustering in the same sets of neurons, which argues against a meaningful orthogonal relationship between orientation and SF functional maps. These maps also displayed nearly absent vertical SF clustering between two cortical depths (150 & 300 μm), indicating a lack of SF columnar structures within the superficial layers. The underlying causes might be that most neurons were tuned to a narrow two-octave range of medium frequencies, and many neurons with different SF preferences were often spatially mixed, which disallowed finer grouping of SF tuning. In addition, individual SF tuning functions were often asymmetric, having wider lower frequency branches, which may help encode low SF information for later decoding., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the associations of multiple single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with the severities and endophenotypes of myopia in children., Methods: A total of 3300 children aged 5-10 years were recruited: 137 moderate and high myopia (SE≤-3.0D), 670 mild myopia (-3.0D-0.5D). 13 SNPs in 13 genes/loci were selected for genotyping in all subjects using TaqMan assays. Associations between each SNP with myopia severities and ocular traits (spherical equivalent (SE), axial length (AL) and corneal radius (CR)) were analysed., Results: When compared with controls, SNPs ZC3H11B rs4373767 (OR=1.15, p=0.038), BICC1 rs7084402 (OR=1.18, p=0.005) and GJD2 rs524952 (OR=1.14, p=0.025) showed nominal associations with overall myopia. ZC3H11B rs4373767 and BICC1 rs7084402 showed stronger associations with moderate and high myopia (rs4373767: OR=1.42, p=0.018; rs7084402: OR=1.33, p=0.025), while GJD2 rs524952 had a stronger association with mild myopia (OR=1.14, p=0.025). GJD2 rs524952 also showed a difference between emmetropia and hyperopia (p=0.018). In quantitative trait locus analysis, ZC3H11B rs4373767, KCNQ5 rs7744813 and GJD2 rs524952 were correlated with both myopic SE (β=-0.09, p=0.03; β=-0.12, p=0.007; β=-0.13, p=0.0006, respectively) and AL (β=0.07, p=0.002; β=0.09, p=0.0008; β=0.07, p=0.0003, respectively). SNTB1 rs7839488 was correlated with both AL (β=0.07, p=0.005) and CR (β=0.02, p=0.006). Moreover, ZC3H11B rs4373767-T (β=0.006; p=0.018), KCNQ5 rs7744813-A (β=0.007; p=0.015) and GJD2 rs524952-T (β=0.009; p=0.0006) were correlated with AL-CR ratio., Conclusions and Relevance: ZC3H11B and BICC1 are genetic risk factors for moderate and high myopia, while ZC3H11B, KCNQ5, SNTB1 and GJD2 confer risk to excessive AL in children., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Purpose: To investigate the effect of age at treatment and other factors on treatment response to atropine in the Low-Concentration Atropine for Myopia Progression (LAMP) Study., Design: Secondary analysis from a randomized trial., Participants: Three hundred fifty children aged 4 to 12 years who originally were assigned to receive 0.05%, 0.025%, or 0.01% atropine or placebo once daily, and who completed 2 years of the LAMP Study, were included. In the second year, the placebo group was switched to the 0.05% atropine group., Methods: Potential predictive factors for change in spherical equivalent (SE) and axial length (AL) over 2 years were evaluated by generalized estimating equations in each treatment group. Evaluated factors included age at treatment, gender, baseline refraction, parental myopia, time outdoors, diopter hours of near work, and treatment compliance. Estimated mean values and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of change in SE and AL over 2 years also were generated., Main Outcome Measures: Factors associated with SE change and AL change over 2 years were the primary outcome measures. Associated factors during the first year were secondary outcome measures., Results: In 0.05%, 0.025%, and 0.01% atropine groups, younger age was the only factor associated with SE progression (coefficient of 0.14, 0.15, and 0.20, respectively) and AL elongation (coefficient of -0.10, -0.11, and -0.12, respectively) over 2 years; the younger the age, the poorer the response. At each year of age from 4 to 12 years across the treatment groups, higher-concentration atropine showed a better treatment response, following a concentration-dependent effect (P trend <0.05 for each age group). In addition, the mean SE progression in 6-year-old children receiving 0.05% atropine (-0.90 diopter [D]; 95% CI, -0.99 to -0.82) was similar to that of 8-year-old children receiving 0.025% atropine (-0.89 D; 95% CI, -0.94 to -0.83) and 10-year-old children receiving 0.01% atropine (-0.92 D; 95% CI, -0.99 to -0.85). All concentrations were well tolerated in all age groups., Conclusions: Younger age is associated with poor treatment response to low-concentration atropine at 0.05%, 0.025%, and 0.01%. Among concentrations studied, younger children required the highest 0.05% concentration to achieve similar reduction in myopic progression as older children receiving lower concentrations., (Copyright © 2021 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aim: Achalasia patients usually present lower esophageal sphincter thickening, which can impact the expansibility of cardia. We aimed to investigate the effect of cardiac muscularis propria (MP) on perioperative adverse events (AEs) and treatment outcomes of patients treated with peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM)., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 114 patients with achalasia undergoing pre-POEM endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) between May 2013 and November 2019. Cardiac MP thickness was measured using EUS. POEM failure was defined as Eckardt score >3. Risk factors for perioperative AEs and POEM failure were identified., Results: Patients were divided into the thin (n = 52) and the thick group (n = 62) based on the median of cardiac MP thickness (3.0 mm). Perioperative AEs rate of the thin group seemed to be slightly higher than that of the thick group (11.5% vs. 4.8%, P = 0.30). During a median follow-up of 30 months (range 1-77), 100 patients completed follow-up, 16 (16%) of which occurred clinical failure. The clinical outcomes of patients in the thin group were significantly poorer than those patients in the thick group (P = 0.006). Cardiac MP thickness was an independent risk factor for POEM failure (hazard ratio 3.9, P = 0.02; Cox regression), but not the risk factor for perioperative AEs (odds ratio 2.6, P = 0.2; logistic regression)., Conclusion: Cardiac MP thickness could be a novel predictive factor for POEM failure in patients with achalasia., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The Bombyx mori Shadow gene (BmShadow) belongs to the superfamily of cytochrome P450 genes. To elucidate the function of the BmShadow gene and its association with diapause, we employed the CRISPR/Cas9 system to knock out the BmShadow gene in the bivoltine strain Qiufeng. The mutant (BmShadow -/- ) was obtained in G 2 , exhibiting a 42-base deletion corresponded exactly to the amino acids regions from positions 155 to 168. The larvae of BmShadow -/- cannot moult at the pre-moulting stage of the 2nd instar. When the BmShadow -/- larvae were fed with 20E analogue at the late stage of the 2nd instar, they were rescued and developed into the 3rd instar. Rescue experiments indicated that the 20E concentration of BmShadow -/- larvae was significantly lower than that in WT larvae, and the 20E concentration of BmShadow -/- larvae which fed 20E analogue was restored to normal levels. Interestingly, the BmShadow -/- larvae could not moult on the 1st instar when they hatched from eggs after being stored at 5 °C for 40 days or after hibernation, suggesting that the 20E transported from the mother was partially consumed in the diapause maintenance phase. Our study confirmed that BmShadow is involved in 20E synthesis and a 14-amino acids region from position 155 to 168 was essential for its function, also there appears to be no other compensation pathway in vivo, which offered an important potential target locus for the control of silkworm development and the biological control of agricultural and forestry pests., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Orientation tuning is a fundamental response property of V1 neurons and has been extensively studied with single-/multiunit recording and intrinsic signal optical imaging. Long-term 2-photon calcium imaging allows simultaneous recording of hundreds of neurons at single neuron resolution over an extended time in awake macaques, which may help elucidate V1 orientation tuning properties in greater detail. We used this new technology to study the microstructures of orientation functional maps, as well as population tuning properties, in V1 superficial layers of 5 awake macaques. Cellular orientation maps displayed horizontal and vertical clustering of neurons according to orientation preferences, but not tuning bandwidths, as well as less frequent pinwheels than previous estimates. The orientation tuning bandwidths were narrower than previous layer-specific single-unit estimates, suggesting more precise orientation selectivity. Moreover, neurons tuned to cardinal and oblique orientations did not differ in quantities and bandwidths, likely indicating minimal V1 representation of the oblique effect. Our experimental design also permitted rough estimates of length tuning. The results revealed significantly more end-stopped cells at a more superficial 150 μm depth (vs. 300 μm), but unchanged orientation tuning bandwidth with different length tuning. These results will help construct more precise models of V1 orientation processing., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permission@oup.com.)

The present study presented the extraction and purification of polysaccharides from artificially cultured Cordyceps cicadae and wild Cordyceps cicadae by pre-soaking ultrasonic water extraction. The effects of different concentrations of polysaccharides on proliferation and cytotoxicity of Hela cells were detected by MTT and LDH methods. The results showed that the proliferation of Hela cells was inhibited by polysaccharides treatment (25 μg/mL-1600 μg/mL). The results of flow cytometry further confirmed that polysaccharides blocked the cell cycle in the S phase and promoted apoptosis. RT-qPCR and Western Blot were used to study the mRNA and protein expression of genes related to cell cycle and apoptosis signaling pathway. The results showed that polysaccharides treatment inhibited the expression of Cyclin E, Cyclin A and CDK2 and up regulated the expression of P53. Further, activation of Caspase cascade reaction, up regulation of death receptor, and the ratio of pro-apoptotic factor/anti-apoptotic factors, thus caused the cell cycle arrest and induced the apoptosis. The above research results lay a foundation for extending the anti-cancer effects of natural plant resources with low toxicity and high efficiency., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate changes in ocular biometrics in groups receiving 0.05%, 0.025%, and 0.01% atropine compared with placebo over 1 year based on the Low-Concentration Atropine for Myopia Progression (LAMP) study., Design: Double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial., Participants: Three hundred eighty-three children aged 4 to 12 years who were assigned randomly to receive 0.05%, 0.025%, 0.01% atropine, or placebo once daily in both eyes and completed the first year of the LAMP study., Methods: Cycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE), axial length (AL), corneal curvature (K), and anterior chamber depth (ACD) were measured by IOLMaster. Corneal astigmatism and lens power were calculated. The ocular biometric parameter changes were compared among groups. Contributions to SE progression from ocular parameters were determined and compared among groups., Main Outcome Measures: Changes in ocular biometrics and their associations with the changes in SE., Results: Over 1 year, changes in AL were 0.20 ± 0.25 mm, 0.29 ± 0.20 mm, 0.36 ± 0.29 mm, and 0.41 ± 0.22 mm in the 0.05% atropine, 0.025% atropine, 0.01% atropine, and placebo groups, respectively (P < 0.001), with a concentration-dependent response. Corneal power remained stable, and its changes were similar across all atropine concentrations: -0.02 ± 0.14 diopter (D), -0.01 ± 0.14 D, -0.01 ± 0.12 D, and 0.01 ± 0.14 D in the 0.05% atropine, 0.025% atropine, 0.01% atropine, and placebo groups, respectively (P = 0.10). Lens power decreased over time in each concentration, but its changes also were similar across all concentrations: -0.31 ± 0.43 D, -0.38 ± 0.47 D, -0.40 ± 0.43 D, and -0.41 ± 0.43 D in the 0.05% atropine, 0.025% atropine, 0.01% atropine, and placebo groups, respectively (P = 0.24). Changes in ACD remained similar across all concentrations (P = 0.41). The contributions to SE progression from the ocular biometric changes after adjusting for age and gender in each concentration were similar across all groups (P > 0.05)., Conclusions: Low-concentrations of atropine (0.05%, 0.025%, and 0.01%) have no clinical effect on corneal or lens power. Antimyopic effects of low-concentration atropine act mainly on reducing AL elongation, and therefore could reduce the risk of subsequent myopia complications., (Copyright © 2020 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In order to explore the performance, kinetics characteristics and enhancement mechanisms in anammox process under ferrous iron enhanced conditions, a laboratory-scale UASB anammox reactor has been built up and operated for 534 days. Experimental results showed that the Anammox process was successfully started up in a short operation period and the TNRE reached 83.34 ± 2.96% with a maximum total nitrogen removal rate of 14.4 kg m -3 d -1 after long-term operated under influent Fe(II) concentration of 5.3 mg L -1 . Simulation results using different kinetic models showed that the Stover-Kincannon model and the Grau second-order model were useful for describing the anammox performance under Fe(II) enhanced conditions. Extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) act a pivotal part in the granulation of Anammox sludge and the improvement of anammox activity. Iron improved the hydrophobicity of the sludge by reducing the PN/PS ratios, and also increased the Anammox granular diameter. The granular diameter of higher than 2.00 accounted for 58.3% of the total sludge. At the same time, the presence of iron decreased EPS levels, and also decreased the iron adsorption ability to sludge. More iron was transported into Anammox, which improved the nitrogen removal ability in the Anammox reactor.

Objective: To investigate the effects of miRNA-191 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of prostate cancer, and to explore its mechanism. Methods: The expression levels of miRNA-191 in four human prostate cancer cell lines (PC-3, DU-145, LNCa P, 22RU1) and human normal prostate cell line RWPE-2 were detected, and prostate cancer cell line PC-3 was selected as the experimental object. PC-3 cells were divided into three groups: blank control group (no transfection), miRNA-191 NC group (PC-3 cells transfected with Inhibitor NC) and miRNA-191 Inhibitor group (PC-3 cells transfected with miRNA-191 Inhibitor), and each group was provided with three multiple pores. The expression levels of miRNA-191 and PLCD1 were detected by RT-PCR. The cell proliferation was detected by CCK8 assay. Scratch test and invasive test were used to detect cell migration and invasive ability. Through Targetscan target gene prediction website, PLCD1 was screened as the target protein of miRNA-191, and verified by double luciferase target experiment.Western blot assay was used to detect the expression of PLCD1 in cells of each group. Results: Compared with RWPE-2 cells, the expression level of miRNA-191 in human prostate cancer cells was significantly higher ( P ＜0.05), and the expression level of miRNA191 in PC-3 was significantly higher than that in other three cell lines ( P ＜0.05). After inhibiting the expression of miRNA-191, the expression levels of PLCD1 was significantly higher while PC-3 cells' proliferation ability was inhibited, and their migration and invasion ability were significantly lower than those of blank control group and miRNA-191 NC group ( P ＜ 0.05). The results of double luciferase reporter gene assay showed that PLCD1 gene was a target gene of miRNA-191. Conclusion: miRNA-191 promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of prostate cancer PC-3 cells by targeting PLCD1.

Purpose: To determine the effects on childhood myopia of parental myopia, parental education, children's outdoor time, and children's near work., Design: Population-based cross-sectional study., Methods: A total of 6,155 subjects in 2,055 family trios (1 child and both parents). Cycloplegic autorefraction was measured for children and noncycloplegic autorefraction for parents. Parental education, children's outdoor time, and near work were collected by questionnaires. Children were categorized into 10 groups based on parental myopia levels. Associations of the above factors with myopia were evaluated by regression analyses. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROCs) for myopia were evaluated., Results: Mild parental myopia did not increase childhood myopia's risk, but the risk was 11.22-folds when both parents were highly myopic. Higher parental education (Father: OR 1.08, P = .046; Mother: OR 1.11, P = .001) and more reading time of children were risk factors (OR 1.21, P = .044). Reduced odds of myopia were associated with more time spent on outdoor activities (OR 0.78, P = .017). Notably, all these factors became insignificant after adjustment, except for parental myopia. Children with more severe parental myopia spent more time on reading, but less on electronic devices. Parental myopic status alone accounted for 11.82% of myopia variation in children. With age and parental myopia, the AUROC for myopia was 0.731., Conclusions: Among parental and environmental factors, parental myopia confers, in a dose-related manner, the strongest independent effect on childhood myopia. Therefore children with high risk of myopia can be identified for early prevention, based on parental myopia data., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)