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Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have reproducibly associated the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs12454712 with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI (WHRadjBMI), but the functional role underlying this intronic variant is unknown. Integrative genomic and epigenomic analyses supported rs12454712 as a functional independent variant. We further demonstrated that rs12454712 acted as an allele-specific enhancer regulating expression of its located gene BCL2 by using dual-luciferase reporter assays and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9. Specifically, the rs12454712-C allele can bind transcription factor ZNF329, which efficiently elevates the enhancer activity and increases BCL2 expression. Knocking down Bcl2 in 3T3-L1 cells led to the downregulation of adipogenic differentiation marker genes and increased cell apoptosis. A significant negative correlation between BCL2 expression in subcutaneous adipose tissues and obesity was observed. Our findings illustrate the molecular mechanisms behind the intronic SNP rs12454712 for central obesity, which would be a potential and promising target for developing appropriate therapies.

Osteoporosis is an age-related complex disease clinically diagnosed with bone mineral density (BMD). Although several genomewide association studies (GWASs) have discovered multiple noncoding genetic variants at 11p15 influencing osteoporosis risk, the functional mechanisms of these variants remain unknown. Through integrating bioinformatics and functional experiments, a potential functional single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP; rs1440702) located in an enhancer element was identified and the A allele of rs1440702 acted as an allelic specificities enhancer to increase its distal target gene SOX6 (~600 Kb upstream) expression, which plays a key role in bone formation. We also validated this long-range regulation via conducting chromosome conformation capture (3C) assay. Furthermore, we demonstrated that SNP rs1440702 with a risk allele (rs1440702-A) could increase the activity of the enhancer element by altering the binding affinity of the transcription factor TCF4, resulting in the upregulation expression of SOX6 gene. Collectively, our integrated analyses revealed how the noncoding genetic variants (rs1440702) affect osteoporosis predisposition via long-range gene regulatory mechanisms and identified its target gene SOX6 for downstream biomarker and drug development. © 2022 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).

Chemosensory proteins (CSPs) are thought to play roles in the insect olfactory system by binding and carrying hydrophobic odorants across the aqueous sensillar lymph. The band-winged grasshopper, Oedaleus asiaticus Bei-Bienko, is one of the most important grasshopper pests in northern China, but there is little information about its olfactory system. In order to investigate the olfactory functions of CSPs in this pest, three CSP genes (OasiCSP4, OasiCSP11 and OasiCSP12) were expressed in Escherichia coli, and the binding affinities of the three recombinant CSP proteins were measured for 16 volatiles from the host plant (Stipa krylovii), fecal material and body of live adult O. asiaticus using fluorescence competitive binding assays. To further verify their olfactory functions, RNA interference (RNAi) and electrophysiological recording were conducted. The three recombinant proteins displayed different degrees of binding to various volatiles in ligand-binding assays, with OasiCSP12 having higher binding affinities for more volatiles than OasiCSP4 and OasiCSP11. OasiCSP12 exhibited strong binding affinities (Ki

The band-winged grasshopper Oedaleus asiaticus (Orthoptera: Acridoidea) is an important insect pest in north China. Chemosensory membrane proteins are believed to be crucial factors in direct interactions with odorants in the chemosensory process. However, there is much limited information on the chemosensory system in this pest. In this study, a total of 69 candidate chemosensory membrane protein genes, including 60 olfactory receptors (ORs), 6 ionotropic receptors (IRs) and 3 sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs), were identified for the first time from the antennal transcriptomes of O. asiaticus. Blastp match and phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that these chemosensory membrane proteins were the closest to their orthologous species, Locusta migratoria. The qRT-PCR analysis revealed that all tested 14 OR and two SNMP genes (OasiSNMP1 and OasiSNMP2a) were strongly expressed in adult antennae, and nearly all tested genes (15/16) displayed significant differences in the expression levels between both sexes. Moreover, two IR genes (OasiIR25a and OasiIR76b) had uniquely high expression levels in the antennae, labial palps and maxillary palps, while three IR genes (OasiIR1, OasiIR2 and OasiIR3) were highly expressed in most tested tissues (heads without antennae and mouthparts, labial palps, maxillary palps, labia without labial palps, thoraxes, tarsi, and abdomens) except for antennae, labra, and wings but OasiIR5a was just faintly expressed in the antennae, labia without labial palps, labial palps, maxillary palps and abdomen. Our results provide important molecular information for further investigation on the chemoreception mechanisms in O. asiaticus.

Breast ultrasound and mammography were used in the detection of residual tumor after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between clinical and pathological responses with breast density and IHC marker conversion to understand how this information might be used in the future to direct treatment. We included 119 patients who underwent CNB and followed NACT. The breast density assessment was based on the mammography examination performed at the time of diagnosis. We evaluated the clinical and pathological responses to NACT by the UICC and Miller–Payne grading systems, respectively. Of 119 patients who met the inclusion criteria, patients with high pre-treatment IHC markers levels showed higher expression of IHC markers regardless of the post-treatment IHC marker level at baseline. However, breast and node tumor sizes before and after NACT were negatively correlated with hormone receptor conversion and positively correlated with Ki-67 conversion (P

The Hubei province is one of the most schistosomiasis-epidemic-prone provinces in China. A series of strategies were adopted by the government to curb the rebound schistosomiasis endemic status that has prevailed since the early 2000s. This study aimed to elucidate the trends of schistosomiasis transmission and to appraise the effectiveness of the integrated control strategy in lake and marshland areas.Surveillance data of schistosomiasis in the Hubei province between 2005 and 2018 were analyzed, including conventional health control measures, integrated strategies, and measures that focused on the infection source. According to the local annual plan for schistosomiasis control in endemic counties, previous measures were human and snail control and surveillance. Residents aged 6-65 years were screened by an immunological detection method called indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA) after the transmission season each year. All residents who tested positive were then asked to provide a fecal sample for examination by the miracidium hatching technique (MHT) to detect the presence of schistosomes. Moreover, systematic snail surveys were conducted as a part of the combined environmental sampling method. The latter included integrated strategies and measures that focused on the infection source. Bovine stool samples were also collected and concurrently assessed using the MHT by the agriculture department, river-hardening slope protection was constructed by the water conservancy department, and forestation promotion was conducted by the forest department. The effectiveness of the integrated control strategy was assessed using two indicators of resident and livestock infection rates and three indicators of snail epidemics across all endemic areas.From 2005 to 2018, a total of 28. 46 million and 2. 05 million residents were assessed by immunological (IHA) and etiological (MHT) detection techniques, respectively. Snail surveys and molluscicide application were performed in 2. 26 hectares and 0. 37 hectares, respectively. Moreover, 2. 60 million bovines were assessed by etiological detection techniques (MHT). The river-hardening slope protection project was implemented in 503 places, and 46 thousand hectares in endemic areas underwent environmental modification. Forestation was implemented at an area of 0. 15 million hectares. Between 2005 and 2018, the epidemic indicators, including resident and livestock infection rates and the infested areas and infection rate of snails, all presented downward trends. The resident infection rate decreased from 3. 78% in 2005 to 0% in 2016, which persisted through 2018. The livestock infection rate decreased from 5. 63% in 2005 to 0% in 2013, which also persisted through 2018. From 2005 to 2018, the snail-inhabited area was slightly reduced, but the area of infected snails decreased to 0 in 2012; this persisted through 2018. All counties met the goal for schistosomiasis infection control, transmission control, and disruption of schistosomiasis activity in 2008, 2013, and 2018 separately. That means the goal has been achieved in each stage.The decline of the schistosomiasis epidemic rate demonstrates that the Chinese government was successful in meeting its public health goal in Hubei province. In the next decade, precision interventions must be implemented in endemic counties with a relatively low epidemic status to achieve the goals of the Outline of the Healthy China 2030 Plan. A similar strategy can be applied in other countries to eliminate schistosomiasis globally.

We report a sensitive study of measuring $$b\rightarrow s\gamma $$ b → s γ photon polarisation in $$D^{0}\rightarrow K_1(1270)^-e^+\nu _e$$ D 0 → K 1 ( 1270 ) - e + ν e with an integrated luminosity of $$\mathscr {L}$$ L = 1 ab$$^{-1}$$ - 1 at a center-of-mass energy of 3.773 GeV at a future Super Tau Charm Facility. More than 61,000 signals of $$D^{0}\rightarrow K_1(1270)^-e^+\nu _e$$ D 0 → K 1 ( 1270 ) - e + ν e are expected. Based on a fast simulation software package, the statistical sensitivity for the ratio of up-down asymmetry is estimated to be $$1.5\times 10^{-2}$$ 1.5 × 10 - 2 by performing a two-dimensional angular analysis in $$D^{0}\rightarrow K_1(1270)^-e^+\nu _e$$ D 0 → K 1 ( 1270 ) - e + ν e . Combining with measurements of up-down asymmetry in $$B\rightarrow K_1\gamma $$ B → K 1 γ , the photon polarisation in $$b\rightarrow s\gamma $$ b → s γ can be determined model-independently.

Although >80 psoriasis genetic risk loci have been reported through genome-wide association studies (GWASs), the genetic mechanism of psoriasis remains unclear. To identify novel candidate genes associated with psoriasis and reveal the potential effects of genetic factors in the development of psoriasis, we conducted a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) based on summary statistics from GWAS of psoriasis (5175 cases and 447 089 controls) and gene expression levels from six tissues datasets (blood and skin). We identified 11 conditionally independent genes for psoriasis after Bonferroni corrections, such as the most significant genes UBLCP1 (PYFS = 2.98 × 10−16) and LCE3C (PSNSE = 9.72 × 10−12, PSSE = 6.24 × 10−12). The omnibus test identified additional five genes associated with psoriasis via the joint association model from multiple reference tissues. Among the 16 identified genes, 5 genes (CTSW, E1F1AD, KLRC3, FIBP and EFEMP2) were regarded as novel genes for psoriasis. We evaluated the 16 candidate genes by querying public databases and identified 11 differentially expressed genes and 8 genes proved by the knockout mice models. Through GO enrichment analyses, we found that TWAS genes were enriched in the known GO terms associated with skin development, such as cornified envelope (P = 4.80 × 10−8) and peptide cross-linking (P = 1.50 × 10−7). Taken together, our results detected multiple novel candidate genes for psoriasis, providing clues for understanding the genetic mechanism of psoriasis.

ObjectiveHyperuricemia (HUA) is strongly associated with abnormal glucose metabolism and insulin resistance (IR). However, the precise molecular mechanism of HUA-induced IR is still unclear. Retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) has been shown to induce IR in type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study was designed to clarify the relationship between RBP4 and HUA-induced IR and its potential mechanisms.MethodsPatients with HUA were collected to detect the levels of plasma RBP4 and clinical biochemical indicators. Rats were fed with 10% high yeast and oteracil potassium (300 mg/kg) via intraperitoneal injection once daily for eight weeks, and gavage with adenine (100 mg/kg) once daily from the fifth week to induce the HUA model. Glucose consumption testing was performed to determine the capacity of glucose intake and consumption in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein level of RBP4 and insulin receptor substrate-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-active protein kinase (IRS/PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway-related proteins.ResultsThe levels of plasma RBP4 in both HUA patients and HUA rat models were significantly higher than that in the control groups. The level of plasma RBP4 was positively correlated with plasma uric acid, creatinine, fasting insulin, IR index, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in patients with HUA. In HUA rats, the level of plasma RBP4 was positively correlated with plasma uric acid, IR index, and triglycerides. HUA rats also exhibited IR. After inhibition of RBP4 expression, the phosphorylation levels of the IRS/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway were increased, and IR was significantly improved.ConclusionHUA induced IR both in vitro and in vivo. RBP4 may be involved in HUA-induced IR by inhibiting IRS/PI3K/Akt phosphorylation. Our findings may provide a new insight for the treatment of IR caused by HUA.

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have reproducibly associated the SNP rs12454712 with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (WHRadjBMI), but the functional role underlying this intronic variant is unknown. Integrative genomic and epigenomic analyses supported rs12454712 as a functional independent variant. We further demonstrated that rs12454712 acted as an allele-specific enhancer regulating expression of its located gene BCL2 by using dual-luciferase reporter assays and CRISPR-Cas9. Specifically, rs12454712-C allele can bind transcription factor ZNF329, which efficiently elevates the enhancer activity and increases BCL2 expression. Knocking down Bcl2 in 3T3-L1 cells led to the down-regulation of adipogenic differentiation marker genes and increased cell apoptosis. Significant negative correlation between BCL2 expression in subcutaneous adipose tissues and obesity was observed. Our findings illustrate the molecular mechanisms behind the intronic SNP rs12454712 for central obesity, which would be a potential and promising target for developing appropriate therapies.

Ferrimagnets, which contain the advantages of both ferromagnets (detectable moments) and antiferromagnets (ultrafast spin dynamics), have recently attracted great attention. Here we report the optimization of epitaxial growth of a tetragonal perpendicularly magnetized ferrimagnet Mn2Ga on MgO. Electrical transport, magnetic properties and the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) were systematically studied. Furthermore, we successfully integrated high-quality epitaxial ferrimagnetic Mn2Ga thin films onto ferroelectric PMN-PT single crystals with a MgO buffer layer. It was found that the AHE of such a ferrimagnet can be effectively modulated by a small electric field over a large temperature range in a nonvolatile manner. This work thus demonstrates the great potential of ferrimagnets for developing high-density and low-power spintronic devices., Comment: 21 pages 9 figures

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have reproducibly associated the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs12454712 with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI (WHRadjBMI), but the functional role underlying this intronic variant is unknown. Integrative genomic and epigenomic analyses supported rs12454712 as a functional independent variant. We further demonstrated that rs12454712 acted as an allele-specific enhancer regulating expression of its located gene

Background: Sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) is the main rate-limiting enzyme that catalyzes the production of sphingosine 1-phosophate (S1P) from sphingosine (Sph). It has a certain role in the protection of nerve damage. However, the role of acrylamide (ACR) in nerve damage is currently unclear. Methods: In our current research, liquid chromatography triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS) and reverse transcription-PCR (RT-qPCR) were used to detect S1P content in serum and SphK1 content in whole blood in the ACR contact and non-contact groups. In vitro experiments, SphK1 in human neuroblastoma cell (SH-SY5Y) was activated by adding SphK1 specific activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Our research adopted cell viability assay, flow cytometry, western blot, RT-qPCR and related protein detection at mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathway. The results of the population study showed that the contents of SphK1 and S1P in the ACR contact group were lower than those in the non-contact group. Results: The results of in vitro experiments showed that the expression of SphK1 decreased with the increase of ACR concentration. Activating SphK1 can improve the survival rate of SH-SY5Y cells and decrease the apoptosis rate. Activating SphK1 in SH-SY5Y cells can regulate MAPK signaling, including enhancing the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases (ERK) and inhibiting the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) and p38. Conclusion: These results suggest that activating SphK1 can protect the nerve cell damage caused by ACR. This study will provide new ideas for the prevention of neurological damage caused by ACR.

With increasing demands for clean and renewable energy, electrocatalytic water splitting is considered as the most promising procedure of hydrogen production. Pt is the best catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, the low oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity of Pt prevents it from becoming a bifunctional catalyst in practical application. Ir-based electrocatalysts with good OER activities are expected to become the most promising bifunctional catalysts once their HER activities are improved. Herein, we report a simple synthesis of a Si-doped Ir electrode using magnetron sputtering. The physical and electrochemical characterization of the materials is achieved by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS). The electrochemical catalytic activity of the Si-doped Ir electrode toward the HER is demonstrated for the first time. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) curves reveal that the addition of Si can improve the utilization rate of Ir and result in a large electrochemical surface area (ESA). The overpotential of the Si-doped Ir electrode for the HER (η = 114 mV, 50 mA cm−2) is obviously lower than that of an Ir electrode (η = 148 mV, 50 mA cm−2) and very close to that of a Pt electrode (η = 106 mV, 50 mA cm−2). The mass specific activity of the Si-doped Ir electrode exceeds that of an Ir electrode by a factor of ca. 2 at an overpotential of η = 200 mV. The superior HER activity of the Si-doped Ir electrode could be attributed to the electronic structure modification of Ir by the interaction effect with Si as studied through XPS analysis. Moreover, the Tafel slope of 36.5 mV dec−1 suggests that the mechanism for the Si-doped Ir electrode-catalyzed HER is Volmer–Tafel, in which the recombination of two adsorbed hydrogen atoms is the rate-determining step. In addition, the OER activity of the Si-doped Ir electrode outperforms that of an Ir electrode, which enables the Si-doped Ir electrode to be used as a bifunctional catalyst for overall water electrolysis.

To investigate the olfactory mechanisms in Oedaleus infernalis, one of important pests of cereals and pasture in the northern China, the whole-body transcriptome was constructed by RNA-Seq in this study. By de novo assembly, a total of 92,476 unigenes were generated in the adult sample, and 32,693 unigenes (35.35%) were successfully annotated by Blastx. Eighteen putative odorant binding proteins (OBPs) were identified, and phylogenetic analysis indicated the closest genetic relationship of eight OBPs in O. infernalis with those in its sibling species, Oedaleus asaiticus, while five OBPs in O. infernalis with those in Locusta migratoria. qRT-PCR analysis of the expression patterns of all 18 OinfOBPs in different tissues indicated that most OinfOBPs, especially OinfOBP7 and OinfOBP12, had higher expression levels in the antennae meanwhile no or faint expression in other body parts, including heads (without antennae), thoraxes, abdomens, legs, and wings, suggesting that these OBPs may play important roles in olfaction. OinfOBP2 was highly expressed only in male heads. Interestingly, only OinfOBP13 displayed high expressions in nearly all tested tissues. These two OBPs may have different physiological functions in O. infernalis. The remaining OBPs were not or weakly detected in all tested tissues. Our results provide important molecular information for further studies on chemosensory mechanisms in this pest.

Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) play a fundamental role in insect olfaction. In recent years,Galeruca daurica(Joannis) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) has become one of the most important insect pests in the Inner Mongolian grasslands of China. This pest only feeds on the species ofAlliumplants, implying the central role of olfaction in its search for specific host plants. However, the olfaction-related proteins have not been investigated in this beetle. In this study, we identified 29 putative OBP genes, namely GdauOBP1–29, from the transcriptome database ofG. dauricaassembled in our laboratory by using RNA-Seq. All 29 genes had the full-length open reading frames except GdauOBP29, encoding proteins in length from 119 to 202 amino acids with their predicted molecular weights from 12 to 22 kDa with isoelectric points from 3.88 to 8.84. Predicted signal peptides consisting of 15–22 amino acid residues were found in all except GdauOBP6, GdauOBP13 and GdauOBP29. The amino acid sequence identity between the 29 OBPs ranged 8.33–71.83%. GdauOBP1–12 belongs to the Classic OBPs, while the others belong with the Minus-C OBPs. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that GdauOBPs are the closest to CbowOBPs fromColaphellus bowringi. RT-PCR and qRT-PCR analyses showed that all GdauOBPs were expressed in adult antennae, 11 of which with significant differences in their expression levels between males and females. Most GdauOBPs were also expressed in adult heads (without antennae), thoraxes, abdomens, legs and wings. Moreover, the expression levels of the GdauOBPs varied during the different development stages ofG. dauricawith most GdauOBPs expressed highly in the adult antennae but scarcely in eggs and pupae. These results provide insights for further research on the molecular mechanisms of chemical communications inG. daurica.

To investigate the effect of the continuous nursing intervention model on postoperative fatigue levels and quality of life in breast cancer patients. A total of 112 patients with breast cancer who received radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the oncology department of our hospital from January 2018 to January 2020 were collected and randomly divided into the observation group (n=56) and the control group (n=56). The general clinical data of the two groups were comparable. Patients in the control group were instructed with conventional nursing interventions, while those in the observation group were given continuous nursing management in addition to conventional nursing care, and their mastery of nursing management health, quality of life and changes in cancer-related fatigue status were assessed by the selfadministered questionnaires, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30, and the revised piper fatigue scale, respectively. The results showed that only 35 (62.50 %) patients in the control group were completely compliance, 4 (7.14 %) were partially compliance, and 17 (30.36 %) were non-compliance, while 48 (85.71 %) were completely compliance, 6 (10.71%) were partially compliance, and 2 (3.58 %) were non-compliance in the observation group, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p

Because long-term occupational exposure to low concentrations of acrylamide (ACR) has the potential to cause neurological damage, it is important to identify biomarkers that can be used to evaluate this risk. In the present study, urine metabolomics of the ACR-exposed and non-exposed groups to identify potential metabolites was carried out using ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry. Serum biochemical indexes of the exposed and non-exposed groups were also determined. Principal component analysis showed a differential separation between exposed group and non-exposed group and a total of 7 metabolites were identified in positive and negative ionization modes; Area under curve of anthranilic acid, β-guanidinopropionic acid and mesobilirubinogen were 0.980, 0.843 and 0.801 respectively and these metabolites showed high sensitivity and specificity. The 13 biochemical indexes were divided into three classes based on physiological functions. Only biomarkers of dysregulated liver function including alanine aminotransferase, aspartic transaminase, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin and triglyceride were significantly higher in the exposed group than in the non-exposed group. This study identifies important related metabolic changes in the bodies of workers after long-term occupational exposure to low concentration ACR and suggests new biomarkers of nervous system injury caused by ACR. The study also provides a sound basis for exploring the biochemical mechanisms and metabolic pathways of nervous system toxicity caused by ACR.

Galeruca daurica (Joannis) has become a new insect pest in the Inner Mongolia grasslands since 2009, and its larvae and eggs have strong cold tolerance. To get a deeper insight into its molecular mechanisms of cold stress responses, we performed de novo transcriptome assembly for G. daurica by RNA-Seq and compared the transcriptomes of its larvae exposed to five different temperature treatments (−10, −5, 0, 5, and 25°C for 1 h and then recovered at 25°C for 1 h), respectively. Compared with the control (25°C), the numbers of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) decreased from 1,821 to 882, with the temperature declining from 5 to −10°C. Moreover, we obtained 323 coregulated DEGs under different low temperatures. Under four low temperatures (−10, −5, 0, and 5°C), a large number of genes were commonly upregulated during recovery from cold stresses, including those related to cuticle protein, followed by cytochrome P450, clock protein, fatty acid synthase, and fatty acyl-CoA reductase; meanwhile, lots of genes encoding cuticle protein, RNA replication protein, RNA-directed DNA polymerase, and glucose dehydrogenase were commonly downregulated. Our findings provide important clues for further investigations of key genes and molecular mechanisms involved in the adaptation of G. daurica to harsh environments.

Phytochemical investigation of Bulbophyllum wendlandianum (Kraenzl.) Dammer led to the isolation of twenty-three compounds 1–23 (flavanthrinin 1, coelonin 2, lusianthridin 3, densiflorol B 4, plicatol B 5, batatasin-lll 6, gigantol 7, 5-hydroxy-3,3′-dimethoxy-2-(p-hydroxybenzyl) bibenzyl 8, 2,2-dimethyl-5-hydroxy-6-carboxy-7-(2-phenylethyl) 9, tristin 10, p-hydroxybenzyl ethyl ether 11, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde 12, hydroquinone 13, coniferaldehyde 14, p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol 15, 3,4-dihydroxy benzaldehyde 16, stigmasterol 17, β-sitosterol 18, ergosterol peroxide 19, (+)pinoresinol 20, n-butyl sulfoxide 21, tridec-4E-en-l-yl acetate 22, ethyl linolate 23) including five phenanthrenes 1–5, five bibenzyls 6–10, six phenols 11–16, three sterols 17–19, one lignan 20, one n-butyl sulfoxide 21 and two fatty acids 22–23. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses. This is the first report of isolation of compounds 1–23 from Bulbophyllum wendlandianum and compounds 8–9, 11, 13, 15–16 and 19–23 within genus Bulbophyllum. Compound 21 is a new natural product, isolated from a natural source for the first time. Furthermore, the chemotaxonomic significance of the isolates was also discussed.

A Super Tau Charm Facility (STCF) is one of the major options for the accelerator-based high energy project in China in the post-BEPCII era, and its R&D program is underway. The proposed STCF will span center of mass energies (√(s)) ranging from 2 to 7 GeV with a peaking luminosity above 0.5× 1035 cm−2 s−1 at √(s)=4.0 GeV, and will provide a unique platform for tau-charm physics and hadron physics. In order to evaluate the physical potential capabilities and optimize the detector design, a fast simulation package has been developed. This package takes as inputs the response of physical objects in each sub-system of the detector including resolution, efficiency as well as related variables for the kinematic fit and the secondary vertex reconstruction algorithm. It can flexibly adjust the responses of each sub-detector system and is a critical tool for the STCF R&D program.

Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) has been used extensively to analyze gene expression and decipher gene function. To obtain the optimal and stable normalization factors for qRT-PCR, selection and validation of reference genes should be conducted in diverse conditions. In insects, more and more studies confirmed the necessity and importance of reference gene selection. In this study, eight traditionally used reference genes in Galeruca daurica (Joannis) were assessed, using qRT-PCR, for suitability as normalization genes under different experimental conditions using four statistical programs: geNorm, Normfinder, BestKeeper and the comparative ΔCt method. The genes were ranked from the most stable to the least stable using RefFinder. The optimal suite of recommended reference genes was as follows: succinate dehydrogenase (SDHA) and tubulin-alpha (TUB-α) for temperature-treated larvae; ribosomal protein L32, SDHA and glutathione S-transferase were best for all developmental stages; ACT and TUB-α for male and female adults; SDHA and TUB-α were relatively stable and expressed in different tissues, both diapause and non-diapause adults. Reference gene evaluation was validated using expression of two target genes: the P450 CYP6 gene and the heat shock protein gene Hsp70. These results confirm the importance of custom reference gene selection when studies are conducted under diverse experimental conditions. A standardized qRT-PCR analysis procedure for gene functional studies is provided that could be useful in studies on other insect species.

Galeruca daurica is a new pest causing great losses in the Inner Mongolian grasslands of China. The adults enter obligatory diapause during summer. However, the molecular mechanism of summer diapause remains unknown. We used iTRAQ to conduct proteomic analysis of adult G. daurica at the pre-diapause (PD), diapause (D) and post-diapause (TD) stages during summer diapause. A total of 139 and 118 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were detected in D/PD and TD/D comparisons, respectively. Besides a large number of DEPs involved in metabolic process, stress response, cytoskeletal reorganization, and phagosome pathway, many new proteins related to diapause were found in this study, such as encapsulation-relating proteins, odorant binding proteins, chemosensory proteins and ribosomal proteins. KEGG analysis revealed that the phagosome pathway was the only common significantly enriched pathway in both D/PD and TD/D. In addition, juvenile hormone regulation and Ca2+ signaling may play an important role in the regulation of summer diapause in G. daurica. Our proteomic analysis provides a new insight into the mechanism of obligatory summer diapause, and lays a foundation for future molecular level studies.

Dibromoacetic acid (DBAA), a haloacetic acid found in drinking water as a disinfection by-product, can cause many adverse effects, including immunotoxicity. In a previous study, we confirmed that DBAA can induce obvious immunotoxicity in mice but that the underlying mechanisms are not clearly understood. In our current study, we confirmed that DBAA induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in thymocytes isolated from mice by a range of DBAA concentrations (0, 5, 10, 20, or 40 μM). The data showed that DBAA exposure led to a significant decrease in proliferative responses to T-cell mitogens and obvious inhibition in the production of cytokines interleukin-2 and interleukin-4. We found obvious morphological changes of apoptosis in thymocytes and observed the percentage of apoptotic thymocytes to increase significantly as the DBAA concentration increased. Further investigation showed that DBAA can cause G0/G1 arrest in cell cycle analysis, increase intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) levels, increase the expression of Fas/FasL proteins, and decrease the expression of Bcl-2 protein. It is concluded that in vitro exposure to DBAA can lead to marked cytotoxicity and apoptosis among thymocytes, and the mechanism involved is strongly related to blocking cell cycle progression, increasing intracellular calcium, and increasing Fas/FasL expressions.

Lygus pratensis is a phytophagous pest responsible for yield losses in Bt alfalfa and other economic crops in Northwestern China. To better characterize Miridae at the genomic level, the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of L. pratensis was sequenced and analyzed in this study. The mt genome was amplified via the polymerase chain reaction to generate overlapping fragments. These fragments were then sequenced, spliced, and analyzed to include the examination of nucleotide composition, codon usage, compositional biases, protein-coding genes (PCGs), and RNA secondary structures. Phylogenetic relationships between L. pratensis and other species in different Heteroptera families were also examined. The mt genome was found to be a typical circular genome with a length of 16,591 bp and a total AT content of 75.1%, encoded for 13 PCGs, 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), 2 ribosomal RNAs (lrRNA and srRNA), and a noncoding control region. The nucleotide composition of the entire mt genome was heavily biased toward A and T. All of the tRNAs were predicted to have classic clover leaf structures, but three of the tRNAs (tRNAAsn, tRNAHis, tRNAHis) were missing the TΨC loop. The control region (2,017 bp), which was found to be located between 12S and tRNAIle, contained three tandem repeat elements. Phylogenetic analyses showed that L. pratensis is closely related to the other three examined Lygus bugs, and that it is a sister group to Apolygus and Adelphocoris. This study confirms the usability of the mt genome in phylogenesis studies pertaining to the Lygus genus, within Miridae.

The highway slope disaster for effective monitoring and early warning, to reduce the economic losses caused by highway slope disaster. According to the characteristics of slope monitoring system, the demand of early warning process of highway slope monitoring system is analyzed. To achieve the highway slope monitoring system early warning process analysis and design, so that timely and accurate highway slope disaster early warning disposal. Thus minimizing the prevention of disasters and reducing losses.

We design a highway slope monitoring and early-warning system suitable for rainfall condition. The system has great significance for evaluation of highway slope disaster grade and the disaster early warning and emergency measures. This paper based on the functional requirements of highway slope monitoring and early warning system, and have a detail designing for the realization of the system.

Galeruca daurica (Joannis) is a new outbreak pest in the Inner Mongolia grasslands in northern China. Heat shock protein 10 and 60 (Hsp10 and Hsp60) genes of G. daurica, designated as GdHsp10 and GdHsp60, were cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends techniques. Sequence analysis showed that GdHsp10 and GdHsp60 encoded polypeptides of 104 and 573 amino acids, respectively. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis clearly revealed that the amino acids of GdHsp10 and GdHsp60 had high homology and were clustered with other Hsp10 and Hsp60 genes in insects which are highly relative with G. daurica based on morphologic taxonomy. The mRNA expression analysis by real-time PCR revealed that GdHsp10 and GdHsp60 were expressed at all development stages and in all tissues examined, but expressed highest in eggs and in adults’ abdomen; both heat and cold stresses could induce mRNA expression of GdHsp10 and GdHsp60 in the 2nd instar larvae; the two Hsp genes were expressed from high to low with the extension of treatment time in G. daurica eggs exposed to freezing point. Overall, our study provides useful information to understand temperature stress responses of Hsp60 and Hsp10 in G. daurica, and provides a basis to further study functions of Hsp60/Hsp10 relative to thermotolerance and cold hardiness mechanism.

Background In order to better assist medical professionals, this study aimed to develop and compare the performance of three models—a multivariate logistic regression (LR) model, an artificial neural network (ANN) model, and a decision tree (DT) model—to predict the prognosis of patients with advanced schistosomiasis residing in the Hubei province. Methodology/Principal findings Schistosomiasis surveillance data were collected from a previous study based on a Hubei population sample including 4136 advanced schistosomiasis cases. The predictive models use LR, ANN, and DT methods. From each of the three groups, 70% of the cases (2896 cases) were used as training data for the predictive models. The remaining 30% of the cases (1240 cases) were used as validation groups for performance comparisons between the three models. Prediction performance was evaluated using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. Univariate analysis indicated that 16 risk factors were significantly associated with a patient’s outcome of prognosis. In the training group, the mean AUC was 0.8276 for LR, 0.9267 for ANN, and 0.8229 for DT. In the validation group, the mean AUC was 0.8349 for LR, 0.8318 for ANN, and 0.8148 for DT. The three models yielded similar results in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. Conclusions/Significance Predictive models for advanced schistosomiasis prognosis, respectively using LR, ANN and DT models were proved to be effective approaches based on our dataset. The ANN model outperformed the LR and DT models in terms of AUC., Author summary Worldwide, approximately 240 million individuals are infected with schistosomiasis, a parasitic neglected tropical disease that continues to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in China. Effective tools that can accurately predict the prognosis of patients with advanced schistosomiasis would aid in the treatment and management of the disease. To this end, we constructed and compared the performance of three predictive models—an artificial neural network (ANN) model, a logistic regression (LR) model and a decision tree (DT) model—in their ability to predict the prognosis of patients with advanced schistosomiasis. We found that while all three models proved effective, the ANN model outperformed the LR and DT models in terms of AUC and sensitivity. Yet, to achieve the highest level of prediction accuracy and to better assist medical professionals, we recommend comparing the performance of the three predictive models to select the optimal one, which will be better than select a model at random. The findings of this study not only provide valuable information on the construction of effective predictive models for the prognosis of advanced schistosomiasis, but also offer new methodology for clinically determining patient diagnosis and prognosis.

Dibromoacetic acid (DBA), a haloacetic acid by-product of disinfection of drinking water, can cause many adverse effects in test animals, including immunotoxicity. However, the underlying molecular mechanism for the immunomodulatory effects remains unclear. The present study was undertaken to help in defining some potential mechanisms for this type of toxicity. Here, Cl.Ly1+2/-9 T-cells were exposed to varying levels of DBA and then several parameters, including cell survival, apoptosis, changes in mitochondrial potentials, and effects on select kinases (i.e., p38, ERK1/2, JNK1/2) were examined. The data showed that DBA significantly decreased Cl.Ly1+2/-9 cell viability in a dose-related manner. DBA also induced apoptosis, a decrease in mitochondrial trans-membrane potential, and up-regulated the protein expression of cleaved caspase-3. Moreover, DBA increased the phosphorylation of all three mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) evaluated. Pre-treatment with specific p38, ERK1/2, and JNK1/2 inhibitors (SB203580, U0126, SP600125, respectively) attenuated the inducible phosphorylation events. DBA also induced up-regulation of mRNA levels of the MAPKs downstream transcription factors ATF-2 and Elk-1. When taken together, the results suggest that DBA could induce murine Cl.Ly1+2/-9 T-cells apoptosis through mitochondria-dependent way, and activate the MAPKs pathways and downstream transcription factors ATF-2 and Elk-1.

The nanosized TiO2 and luminescent materials were coated on PVC flexible composite material to get self-cleaning luminous PVC flexible composite building materials, the materials durable-polluted, luminous, reused properties and the adhesion property of the nanosized TiO2 and luminescent material particles were tested and studyed. The experimental results show that the nanosized TiO2 and luminescent materials finishing self-cleaning luminous PVC flexible composite building materials gain significant and good durability performance of self-cleaning and luminous functions.

This paper based on the genetic algorithm,introduced part search process and respectively established the mathematical scheduling model of full loads vehicle optimal scheduling with soft time windows and of non-full loads on the basis of the long distance logistics transportation situation of some companys distribution center in Shenzhen. Then programmed to achieve the scheduling of multi-vehicle touting and selection, and conducted example analysis.

This paper mainly based on the coupling relationship between tribological and dynamic behaviors of cylinder liner-piston system to establish dynamics and tribology coupling model of cylinder linerpiston-piston ring, and to analyze the effect of piston skirt profile based on it, providing theoretical basis for determining the effect of piston skirt profiles to piston dynamics and lubrication performance.

This paper establishs a coupled model on kinetic and tribological of cylinder liner-piston-piston ring system and takes the cylinder liner-piston system as an automatic control system based on the finite difference method and overrelaxation iteration method; the numerical solutions of the model is put forward and designed the overall the calculation process of coupling model, providing theoretical basis for further analyzing the piston system dynamic performance.

The conveying logistics of harvesting harvesters has been one of the constraints to the sugarcane harvester technology development bottleneck problem,which conveying stability and reliability are not high and easy to plug. Firstly, the mechanism of logistics conveying was discussed. Secondly, for the sugarcane flows (SF) changing in sugarcane harvester process as the objects, the sugarcane volume model and mass of the model in a static state were established, which was relation to the number, the form and the parallel. Finally, the experiments had been done to verify the model coefficients. It had provided the theoretical basis for increasing the sugarcane harvester smooth conveying and work efficiency

Background.This study investigated whether quercetin could alleviate vascular calcification in experimental chronic renal failure rats induced by adenine.Methods.32 adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups fed normal diet, normal diet with quercetin supplementation (25 mg/kg·BW/d), 0.75% adenine diet, or adenine diet with quercetin supplementation. All rats were sacrificed after 6 weeks of intervention. Serum renal functions biomarkers and oxidative stress biomarkers were measured and status of vascular calcification in aorta was assessed. Furthermore, the induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)/p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) pathway was determined to explore the potential mechanism.Results.Adenine successfully induced renal failure and vascular calcification in rat model. Quercetin supplementation reversed unfavorable changes of phosphorous, uric acid (UA) and creatinine levels, malonaldehyde (MDA) content, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in serum and the increases of calcium and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in the aorta (P<0.05) and attenuated calcification and calcium accumulation in the medial layer of vasculature in histopathology. Western blot analysis showed that iNOS/p38MAPK pathway was normalized by the quercetin supplementation.Conclusions.Quercetin exerted a protective effect on vascular calcification in adenine-induced chronic renal failure rats, possibly through the modulation of oxidative stress and iNOs/p38MAPK pathway.

OBJECTIVE To study the value of slow vertex response (SVR) in the evaluation of hearing loss by comparing the hearing thresholds acquired with SVR and pure tone audiometry (PTA). METHODS Twenty-five subjects (40 ears) with sensorineural hearing loss were tested by PTA and SVR. According to the thresholds of PTA, these ears were subdivided into mild, moderate and severe hearing loss groups, and rank sum test was performed on the thresholds of SVR and PTA for all the hearing loss groups. Then, the correlation between PTA thresholds and SVR thresholds was analyzed and the mathematical models were established for predicting behavioral thresholds by the thresholds of SVR. RESULTS At four test frequencies (0.5, 1, 2 and 4kHz), the thresholds of SVR had high correlations with thresholds of PTA. Four liner regression equations were established, and the correlation coefficient(r) were 0.971, 0.976, 0.957 and 0.928, respectively (P < 0.05). Back substitution test showed that the liner regression equations would be an easy method for estimating the behavior thresholds. CONCLUSION The behavioral threshold can be well judged and evaluated by the liner regression equations established with SVR thresholds.

To investigate chondrocyte apoptosis and the expression of biochemical markers associated with apoptosis in Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) and in an established T-2 toxin- and selenium (Se) deficiency-induced rat model.Cartilages were collected from the hand phalanges of five patients with KBD and five healthy children. Sprague-Dawley rats were administered a selenium-deficient diet for 4 weeks prior to T-2 toxin exposure. The apoptotic chondrocytes were observed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining. Caspase-3, p53, Bcl-2, and Bax proteins in the cartilages were visualized by immunohistochemistry, their protein levels were determined by Western blotting, and mRNA levels were determined by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.Increased chondrocyte apoptosis was observed in the cartilages of children with KBD. Increased apoptotic and caspase-3-stained cells were observed in the cartilages of rats fed with normal and Se-deficient diets plus T-2 toxin exposure compared to those in rats fed with normal and Se-deficient diets. Caspase-3, p53, and Bax proteins and mRNA levels were higher, whereas Bcl-2 levels were lower in rats fed with normal or Se-deficiency diets supplemented with T-2 toxin than the corresponding levels in rats fed with normal diet.T-2 toxin under a selenium-deficient nutritional status induces chondrocyte death, which emphasizes the role of chondrocyte apoptosis in cartilage damage and progression of KBD.

Since occupational exposure to acrylamide (ACR) may cause nerve damage, sensitive biomarkers to evaluate the early effects of ACR on human health are needed. In the present study, we have compared a group of individuals with occupational exposure to ACR (contact group, n = 65) with a group of individuals with no exposure (non-contact group, n = 60). Serum metabolomics analysis of the contact and non-contact groups was carried out using ultra performance liquid chromatograph/time of flight mass spectrometry, combined with multivariate analysis, to identify potential metabolites. Serum biochemical indexes of the contact and non-contact groups were also determined using an automatic biochemistry analyzer. There was a clear separation between the contact group and the non-contact group; receiver operator characteristic curve analysis suggested that phytosphingosine, 4E,15Z-bilirubin IXa and tryptophan were the best metabolites to use as biomarkers. Liver function was also found to be abnormal in the contact group. Important, ACR-related, metabolic changes were seen in the contact group and new biomarkers for assessing the toxicity of ACR on the central nervous system have been proposed. This study will provide a sound basis for exploring the toxic mechanisms and metabolic pathways of ACR.

Galeruca daurica (Joannis) is a new pest on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, China. It is univoltine and overwinters in the egg stage. Larvae and adults feed on the foliage of Allium plants. To assess the requirements to terminate egg diapause and subsequent effects on post-diapause development rate, eggs were held at different temperature regimes. Exposure to low temperatures was required to terminate egg diapause. Prolonged exposure (2 mo vs 1 mo) to 5°C and outside ambient conditions (mean temperature: 10.5°C; range: -7.1-21.6°C) enhanced the termination of egg diapause. Prolonged exposure also reduced the time to egg hatch; e.g., eggs held for 2 mo versus 1 mo at 5°C developed more quickly when subsequently placed at warmer temperatures. Egg hatch was observed at 17, 21, 25, and 29°C, but not at 15°C. Regression analysis identified 16.2°C as the minimum temperature for post-diapause development. The temperature requirement to complete embryonic development (from diapause termination to egg hatch) was calculated to be 103.1 to 140.9 degree-days.

To meet control requirements of different vibrating frequency output, a new kind of motor speed control method which is the RS485 communication control mode of inverter and PLC has been developed in the seismic simulation platform, the design methods of hardware and software are presented.