Search

Jiang-Peng Cao,1– 3 Yuan-Hao Du,1,2,4 Lan-Yu Jia,5 Xiu-Mei Yin,1– 3 Li-Hong Yang,1,2 Lin-Ling Chen,6 Tao Jiang,1,2 Man Zhang,4 Tian Qiu1– 3 1Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China; 2National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China; 3Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China; 4School of acupuncture & moxibustion and Tuina, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Geriatric medicine, Tianjin Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China; 6Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yuan-Hao Du, Email jpjs_cn@sina.comBackground: Cerebral blood flow and vascular structures serve as the fundamental components of brain metabolism and circulation. Acupuncture, an alternative and complementary medical approach, has demonstrated efficacy in treating cerebral ischemic stroke (CIS). Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying the impact of acupuncture on vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) function remain uncertain. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess the alterations in VSMC function following acupuncture stimulation in CIS models.Methods: The databases PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and EMBASE were queried until November 2022 using a predetermined search strategy. The FORMAT BY SYRCLE guidelines were adhered to, and the risk of bias of the included studies was evaluated using the Risk of Bias tool developed by the Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory Animal Experimentation. The random-effects model was employed to estimate the standardized mean difference (SMD).Results: Eighteen articles are included in this review. Acupuncture showed significant positive effects on the region cerebral blood flow (SMD=8.15 [95% CI, 4.52 to 11.78]) and neurological deficiency (SMD=− 3.75 [95% CI, − 5.54 to − 1.97]). Descriptive analysis showed a probable mechanism of acupuncture stimulation in CIS rats related to VSMC function. Limitations and publication bias were presented in the studies.Conclusion: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, our findings indicate that acupuncture stimulation has the potential to improve regional cerebral blood flow and alleviate neurological deficits, possibly by regulating VSMC function. However, it is important to exercise caution when interpreting these results due to the limitations of animal experimental design and methodological quality.Keywords: acupuncture therapy, vascular smooth muscle cell, vasomotor, cerebral ischemic stroke, systematic review

Li-Hua Yang,1,* Guo-Zhou Wang,1,* Chao Gao2 1Department of Breast Tumor Surgery, Huangshi Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei Polytechnic University, Edong Healthcare Group, Huangshi, Hubei, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of General Practitioner, Huangshi Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei Polytechnic University, Edong Healthcare Group, Huangshi, Hubei, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Chao Gao, Department of General Practitioner, Huangshi Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei Polytechnic University, Edong Healthcare Group, Huangshi, Hubei, 435000, People’s Republic of China, Email gaochaotongxue1987@163.comBackground: The survival rate for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is very low due to its advanced metastatic and aggressive nature, and there is no specific target to improve the survival rate. The expression and clinical signature of neuronal-specific septin-3 (Septin3, SEPT3) in TNBC remain undetermined.Methods: SEPT3 differential expression in TNBC was detected with the use of bioinformatic approaches based on TCGA and GEO database, which was verified with immunohistochemistry in TNBC tissues. Next, the effect of SEPT3 on survival and the association between SEPT3 expression and clinical characteristics were assessed for TNBC patients. We performed Cox analysis to evaluate whether SEPT3 is an independent predictor for TNBC patients.Results: SEPT3 was identified as a key differentially expressed gene. SEPT3 was observed to be elevated in 112 TNBC significantly. Increased expression of SEPT3 contributed to an unfavorable prognosis in patients with TNBC. Additionally, SEPT3 was associated with several factors including TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, Ki67 level and histological grade. SEPT3 was determined to be an independent risk factor for TNBC patients through Cox regression analysis.Conclusion: This study demonstrated that SEPT3 could be a potential disease marker for TNBC patients by bioinformatics analysis and validation in clinical samples.Keywords: triple-negative breast cancer, STEP3, prognosis, biomarker

Guo-Zhou Wang,1,* Li-Hua Yang,1,* Chao Gao2 1Department of Breast Tumor Surgery, Huangshi Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei Polytechnic University, Edong Healthcare Group, Huangshi, Hubei Province, 435000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of General Practitioner, Huangshi Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei Polytechnic University, Edong Healthcare Group, Huangshi, Hubei Province, 435000, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Chao Gao, Department of General Practitioner, Huangshi Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei Polytechnic University, Edong Healthcare Group, 141 Tianjin Road, Huangshigang District, Huangshi, Hubei Province, 435000, People’s Republic of China, Email gaochaotongxue1987@163.comBackground: There is a lack of targeted therapies for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), necessitating the search for novel targets. Patients with TNBC exhibit elevated expression of neuron-specific septin-3 (SEPTIN3), leading to poor prognosis. This study aimed to investigate the modulation of SEPTIN3 expression in TNBC cells.Methods: The relative expression levels of SEPTIN3 in TNBC tissues and cell lines were determined using Western blotting and qRT-PCR. We generated lentivirally transduced TNBC cell lines so such that SEPTIN3 was overexpressed or knocked down. Next, the effect of SEPTIN3 on the biological behavior of TNBC cells was detected using a series of functional assays, including CCK8, colony formation, scratch, and transwell assays. We monitored the tumorigenicity of SEPTIN3 overexpressed cells and performed Ki-67 immunostaining in mice. The mechanism mediated by SEPTIN3 was studied using functional enrichment analysis and Western blotting.Results: Protein and mRNA expression levels of SEPTIN3 were observed to be increased in TNBC tissues and cell lines. SEPTIN3 knockdown reduced cell growth, invasion, and migration, whereas SEPTIN3 overexpression exerted the opposite effects. SEPTIN3 was observed to favor cell growth and tumorigenicity in vivo. In addition, SEPTIN3 promoted TNBC cell aggressiveness and proliferation via activation of the Wnt signaling pathway.Conclusion: SEPTIN3 emerged as an oncogene that accelerates tumor progression by regulating the Wnt signaling pathway.Keywords: triple-negative breast cancer, SEPTIN3, proliferation, invasion, Wnt signaling pathway

Jian-Wei Lin,1 Le-He Yang,2 Zhuo-Chao Ren,3 De-Guang Mu,3 Ya-Qing Li,3 Jian-Ping Yan,3 Liang-Xing Wang,4 Chun Chen31Department of Cardiology, Xiasha Campus, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310018, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Respiratory Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325600, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Respiratory Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of ChinaBackground: To evaluate the effects of resveratrol to monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and the role of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in this process in vitro.Materials and methods: Animal acute pulmonarythromboembolism (PTE) model: rat model was established by infusion of an autologous blood clot into the pulmonary artery through a polyethylene catheter. One hundred and thirty-two rats were randomly and equally divided into ten groups: rats-control (untreated), rats-1% DMSO, rats-TNF-α, rats-TNF-α + resveratrol, rats-TNF-α +C1142, rats-TNF-α+SB203580, rats-TNF-α+resveratrol + SB203580, rats-resveratrol only, rats-C1142 only, and rats-SB203580 only. Rat pulmonary artery endothelial cells (RPAs) tests: RPAs were isolated from above animal and designated as: RPAs-control, RPAs-1% DMSO control, RPAs-TNF-α, RPAs-TNF-α + resveratrol, RPAs-TNF-α + C1142, RPAs-TNF-α + SB203580, RPAs-TNF-α + resveratrol + SB203580, RPAs-resveratrol only, RPAs-C1142 only, and RPAs-SB203580 only. Each group was further divided into 1, 4, and 8 hrs time point for evaluation (n=6 rats per time point) except RPAs-TNF-α + SB203580, RPAs-TNF-α + resveratrol + SB203580, RPAs-C1142 and RPAs-SB203580 only, which were evaluated at 8 hrs time point. At each time point, mRNA and protein expressions of RPAs of MCP-1 were measured. The phosphorylation of p38 MAPK (p-pMAPK) of RPAs was also detected.Results: We found that the RPAs-TNF-α elicited significant increases in MCP-1 expression and phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-p38 MAPK). Furthermore, the MCP-1 expressions of RPAs-Resveratrol, RPAs-C1142, and RPAs-SB203580 were significantly down-regulated, which was associated with robustly suppressed TNF-α-induced p-p38MAPK expression.Conclusion: Our findings suggested that MCP-1 was involved in the formation of TNF-α-induced inflammatory response, and resveratrol could down-regulate the expression of MCP-1 via TNF-α- inhibition, which might contribute to the decline of acute PTE-induced PH in vivo.Keywords: inflammation, pulmonary artery endothelial cells, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary thromboembolism, resveratrol

Li-Hua Yang,1,2,* Ye Wang,1,3,* Shi Qiao,1,* Min-Jun Wang,1 Fei Chen,1 Xiao-Yuan Zi,1 Jian-Xiu Li,1 Hai-Bin Zhang,4 Bing Yu,1,4 Yi-Ping Hu1 1Department of Cell Biology, Center for Stem Cell and Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Hepatic Surgery V, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Purpose: Liver cancer stem cells (CSCs) are known to be associated with the development, survival, proliferation, metastasis, and recurrence of liver tumors. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of liver-enriched activator protein 1 (LAP1) with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver CSCs (LCSCs) and explore the impact of LAP1 on LCSCs. Materials and methods: Differences in LAP1 expression in liver cancer tissues versus matched para-tumoral liver tissues and LCSCs versus non-CSCs were analyzed by Western blotting, real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry. The effect of LAP1 on liver cancer cells was evaluated by the expression of CSC markers, oncosphere formation, proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. Cell cycle distribution and the number of apoptotic cells were analyzed to assess cell cycle and cell apoptosis. Furthermore, a mouse subcutaneous tumor implant model was established to explore the role of LAP1 in the development of HCC in vivo. Finally, the expression of CSC markers in paraffin-embedded sections was evaluated by immunofluorescence. Results: LAP1 was weakly expressed in HCC tumors and cell lines and even weaker in LCSCs. LAP1 inhibited the expression of stem cell–associated genes and reduced the abilities of oncosphere formation, proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. Cell cycle assay revealed that LAP1 induced G1/G0 arrest. Furthermore, LAP1 decreased subcutaneous tumor-formation ability and the expression of CSC markers and Ki67 in vivo. Conclusion: LAP1 suppressed the stem cell features of HCC, indicating that it possessed an antitumor effect in liver cancer, both in vitro and in vivo; therefore, LAP1 may prove to be a potential target in liver CSC-targeted therapy. Keywords: LAP1, liver-enriched activator protein 1, hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC, liver cancer stem cell

Lan-Hee Yang,1,2 Dong June Ahn,3 Eunhae Koo1 1Advanced Materials Convergence Division, Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 2Department of Biomicrosystem Technology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 3Departments of Biomicrosystem Technology, Chemical & Biological Engineering, KU-KIST Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea Abstract: Nitric oxide (NO) is a messenger molecule involved in numerous physical and pathological processes in biological systems. Therefore, the development of a highly sensitive material able to detect NO in vivo is a key step in treating cardiovascular and a number of types of cancer-related diseases, as well as neurological dysfunction. Here we describe the development of a fluorescent probe using microbeads to enhance the fluorescence signal. Microbeads are infused with the fluorophore, dansyl-piperazine (Ds-pip), and quenched when the fluorophore is coordinated with a rhodium (Rh)-complex, ie, Rh2(AcO-)4(Ds-pip). In contrast, they are able to fluoresce when the transition-metal complex is replaced by NO. To confirm the “on/off” mechanism for detecting NO, we investigated the structural molecular properties using the Fritz Haber Institute ab initio molecular simulations (FHI-AIMS) package. According to the binding energy calculation, NO molecules bind more strongly and rapidly with the Rh-core of the Rh-complex than with Ds-pip. This suggests that NO can bond strongly with the Rh-core and replace Ds-pip, even though Ds-pip is already near the Rh-core. However, the recovery process takes longer than the quenching process because the recovery process needs to overcome the energy barrier for formation of the transition state complex, ie, NO-(AcO-)4-(Ds-pip). Further, we confirm that the Rh-complex with the Ds-pip structure has too small an energy gap to give off visible light from the highest unoccupied molecular orbital/lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy level. Keywords: nitric oxide, microbead, fluorescence, rhodium complex, ab initio molecular simulation

There is increasing evidence that climate warming will have both direct and indirect effects on species. Whereas the direct effects of climate warming represent the proximate physiological consequences of changing abiotic conditions, the indirect effects of climate change reflect changes mediated by at least one other interacting species. The relative importance of these two kinds of effects has been unclear, limiting our ability to generalize the response of different species to climate change. Here, we used a series of experiments to disentangle some of the key direct and indirect effects of warming on the growth of monarch butterfly caterpillars (Danaus plexippus) and showy milkweed plants (Asclepias speciosa) during a window of rapid growth for both species. The effects of warming differed between direct, indirect, and combined effect experiments. Warming from 26°C to 30°C directly increased the growth of both monarch larvae and milkweeds, with monarch and milkweed growth rates showing similar sensitivity to warming. However, in a subsequent experiment, we did not observe significantly increased growth when comparing caterpillars and plants reared at 27°C and 31°C, suggesting that small differences can change the direct effects of warming. When caterpillars that were maintained at laboratory temperatures were fed leaves from host plants that were exposed to warmer temperatures, warming had a negative indirect effect on larval growth rates likely mediated by decreases in milkweed leaf quality. In experiments combining direct and indirect effects, we observed a net positive effect of warming on larval growth rates. Warming had no combined effects on milkweed growth, potentially due to opposing positive direct and negative indirect effects on growth mediated via increased monarch herbivory. These results show how variability among the direct, indirect, and combined effects of even relatively simple, short-term climatic perturbations can present challenges for predicting the broader effects of climatic warming in multispecies communities.

Several studies have documented a global pattern of phonological advancement that is consistentwith ongoing climate change. However, themagnitude of these phenological shifts is highly variable across taxa and locations. This variability of phenological responses has been difficult to explainmechanistically. To examine how the evolution of multitrait cueing strategies could produce variable responses to climate change, we constructed a model in which organisms evolve strategies that integrate multiple environmental cues to inform anticipatory phenological decisions.We simulated the evolution of phenological cueing strategies in multiple environments, using historic climate data from78 locations in North America and Hawaii to capture features of climatic correlation structures in the real world.Organisms in our model evolved diverse strategies that were spatially autocorrelated across locations on a continental scale, showing that similar strategies tend to evolve in similar climates. Within locations, organisms often evolved a wide range of strategies that showed similar response phenotypes and fitness outcomes under historical conditions. However, these strategies responded differently to novel climatic conditions, with variable fitness consequences. Our model shows how the evolution of phenological cueing strategies can explain observed variation in phenological shifts and unexpected responses to climate change.

Although ecologists have long understood the fundamentally dynamic nature of communities, ecology has until recently seemed to emphasize other aspects of ecological complexity, such as diversity and spatial structure, ahead of temporal variation. Climate change has made studies into the temporal dimensions of community ecology more immediate and urgent, and has exposed the limits of our general understanding about how species interactions change over time. Here, I suggest four specific ways to continue building toward a more temporally explicit understanding of community ecology: (a) by increasing the representation of temporal change in interaction networks, (b) by developing both specific and general insights into event-driven dynamics, (c) by developing and testing sequential hypotheses to describe proposed explanations that unfold over time and (d) by characterizing seasonal windows of opportunity. A great deal about the temporal dynamics of communities remains uncertain, but temporally explicit studies have the potential to improve our fundamental understanding of how communities function.

Increases in consumer abundance following a resource pulse can be driven by diet shifts, aggregation, and reproductive responses, with combined responses expected to result in faster response times and larger numerical increases. Previous work in plots on large Bahamian islands has shown that lizards (Anolis sagrei) increased in abundance following pulses of seaweed deposition, which provide additional prey (i.e., seaweed detritivores). Numerical responses were associated with rapid diet shifts and aggregation, followed by increased reproduction. These dynamics are likely different on isolated small islands, where lizards cannot readily immigrate or emigrate. To test this, we manipulated the frequency and magnitude of seaweed resource pulses on whole small islands and in plots within large islands, and we monitored lizard diet and numerical responses over 4 years. We found that seaweed addition caused persistent increases in lizard abundance on small islands regardless of pulse frequency or magnitude. Increased abundance may have occurred because the initial pulse facilitated population establishment, possibly via enhanced overwinter survival. In contrast with a previous experiment, we did not detect numerical responses in plots on large islands, despite lizards consuming more marine resources in subsidized plots. This lack of a numerical response may be due to rapid aggregation followed by disaggregation or to stronger suppression of A. sagrei by their predators on the large islands in this study. Our results highlight the importance of habitat connectivity in governing ecological responses to resource pulses and suggest that disaggregation and changes in survivorship may be underappreciated drivers of pulse-associated dynamics.

The seasonal assembly of arthropod communities is shaped by biotic and abiotic aspects of the habitat that limit the appearance or activity phenology of potential community members. In addition, previous interactions within the community, such as herbivore-induced plant defensive responses, aggregation, and predator avoidance likely affect the assembly of arthropod communities on individual plants. We observed the phenology of arthropod communities and defensive plant traits on 100 milkweed (Asclepias eriocarpa) individuals at monthly intervals over a growing season. We experimentally wounded a subset of plants each month (April–August) to observe the effect of simulated added herbivore damage on the seasonal assembly of these arthropod communities. All plant traits and measures of arthropod communities changed over the season. The observed response to experimental leaf damage suggested a trend of induced susceptibility in early months, but not late months. Plants receiving early-season simulated herbivory experienced more subsequent leaf damage than unmanipulated plants. We observed several lagged correlations in our study indicating that blue milkweed beetle (Chrysochus cobaltinus) abundance was lower in months following high natural leaf damage, and that the abundance of a secondary omnivore (Lygaeus kalmii) and total predator abundance tended to follow months with high C. cobaltinus abundance. Ahistorical habitat factors determined much of the observed seasonality of arthropod communities, but induced responses to simulated herbivory also contributed historical effects that influenced arthropod community assembly.

Species across a wide range of taxa and habitats are shifting phenological events in response to climate change. While advances are common, shifts vary in magnitude and direction within and among species, and the basis for this variation is relatively unknown. We examine previously suggested patterns of variation in phenological shifts in order to understand the cue–response mechanisms that underlie phenological change. Here, we review what is known about the mechanistic basis for nine factors proposed to predict phenological change (latitude, elevation, habitat type, trophic level, migratory strategy, ecological specialization, species’ seasonality, thermoregulatory mode, and generation time). We find that many studies either do not identify a specific underlying mechanism or do not evaluate alternative mechanistic hypotheses, limiting the ability of scientists to predict future responses to global change with accuracy. We present a conceptual framework that emphasizes a critical distinction between environmental (cue-driven) and organismal (response-driven) mechanisms causing variation in phenological shifts and discuss how this distinction can reduce confusion in the field and improve predictions of future phenological change.

Monarch butterflies are best known from their migratory North American range, although many resident, year-round breeding populations are established throughout the world. Here, we evaluate two non-exclusive hypotheses for the loss of migration in resident monarch populations: (1) absence of cues that trigger migration; and (2) loss of sensory, neural or physiological systems required for migration. To evaluate the first hypothesis, we exposed resident monarchs from Queensland, Australia to decreasing larval photoperiod and observed reproductive development in resulting females to assess their propensity to show reduced reproductive development, a precursor for long-distance migration. To address the second hypothesis, we measured antennal circadian clock gene expression, a crucial element of the monarch's ability to orientate directionally, in a resident and a migratory population. We found that Australian resident monarchs show reduced reproductive development in response to decreasing photoperiod, consistent with the 'loss of cues' hypothesis. We found no differences in antennal clock gene expression between migratory and resident populations, inconsistent with the 'loss of mechanism' hypothesis. Together, these data indicate that even after hundreds of generations of non-migration, monarchs retain two crucial elements of their migratory repertoire: developmental plasticity associated with decreasing photoperiod and antennal circadian rhythms necessary for directional orientation.

The trophic cascade has emerged as a key paradigm in ecology. Although ecologists have made progress in understanding spatial variation in the strength of trophic cascades, temporal variation remains relatively unexplored. Our review suggests that strong trophic cascades are often transient, appearing when ecological conditions support high consumer abundance and rapidly growing, highly edible prey. Persistent top-down control is expected to decay over time in the absence of external drivers, as strong top-down control favors the emergence of better-defended resources. Temporal shifts in cascade strength-including those driven by contemporary global change-can either stabilize or destabilize ecological communities. We suggest that a more temporally explicit approach can improve our ability to explain the drivers of trophic cascades and predict the impact of changing cascade strength on community dynamics.

Introduced predators can have dramatic effects on island ecosystems, the magnitude of which are likely to vary with island characteristics. We investigated the influence of two important properties of islands-size and amount of resource subsidy-on the effects of an introduced predatory lizard (Anolis sagrei) on three groups of arthropod prey. Lizards were experimentally introduced to 16 islands that spanned gradients in vegetated area and seaweed deposition (a marine resource subsidy); 16 similar islands served as lizard-free controls. The abundance of web spiders, salticid spiders, and wasps was estimated prior to lizard introduction and again four months after lizard introduction. Lizard introduction reduced the average abundance of all three groups of arthropods. The effect of lizards on salticid spiders- which was very large (94% reduction in salticid abundance)-decreased with island size. In contrast, the effect of lizards on wasps-which was also very large (88% reduction in wasp abundance)-tended to increase with island size, but with only marginal significance. There was no evidence for variation in the effect of lizards on web spiders with island size. This variation between prey taxa may be related to the relative importance of environmental stress (such as wind and wave exposure, which tend to be more pronounced on smaller islands) in determining abundance. Salticids seem to tolerate the stressful environmental conditions that characterize smaller islands, allowing for larger lizard effects; wasps seem to be limited by these conditions (either directly or indirectly via reduced prey availability), minimizing lizard effects on smaller islands. There was a marginally significant tendency for the effect of lizards on salticid spiders to be weaker on islands with more seaweed deposition, suggesting that subsidies may play a role in reducing predator effects on islands. Our results highlight the importance of ecological context in determining the top-down effects of introduced predators and underscore the need to extend existing theories relating island area and community characteristics toward an explicit consideration of species interactions.

Understanding the natal origins of migratory animals is critical for understanding their population dynamics and conservation. However, quantitative estimates of population recruitment from different natal habitats can be difficult to assess for many species, especially those with large geographic ranges. These limitations hinder the evaluation of alternative hypotheses about the key movements and ecological interactions of migratory species. Here, we quantitatively investigated intra-population variation in the natal origins of western North American monarch butterflies Danaus plexippus using spatial analyses of stable isotope ratios and correlations with wing morphology. A map of hydrogen isotope values in western monarch butterfly wings (δ2Hm) was estimated using a transfer function that relates the δ2Hm values of monarch butterfly wing keratin to a long-term dataset of precipitation isotope (δ2Hp) values across the western United States. Isotopic analyses of 114 monarch butterfly wings collected at four California overwintering locations indicated substantial individual variation in natal origins, with most recruitment coming from broad regions along the Pacific coast, the southwestern US and the northern intermountain region. These observed patterns may partially resolve and reconcile several past hypotheses about the natal origins of western monarch butterflies, while also raising new questions. More negative δ2Hm values (associated with longer migratory distance) were significantly correlated with larger forewing sizes, consistent with expectations based on the aerodynamic and energetic costs of long-distance migration, while analyses of wing shape suggest potential differences in the movement behaviors and constraints observed in the western range, compared with previous observations in eastern North America. Taken together, the results of this study indicate substantial individual variation in the natal origins of overwintering western monarch butterflies, suggesting both local and long-distance movement to overwintering sites.

Aim: Large-scale patterns linking energy availability, biological productivity and diversity form a central focus of ecology. Despite evidence that the activity and abundance of animals may be limited by climatic variables associated with regional biological productivity (e.g. mean annual precipitation and annual actual evapotranspiration), it is unclear whether plant-granivore interactions are themselves influenced by these climatic factors across broad spatial extents. We evaluated whether climatic conditions that are known to alter the abundance and activity of granivorous animals also affect rates of seed removal. Location: Eleven sites across temperate North America. Methods: We used a common protocol to assess the removal of the same seed species (Avena sativa) over a 2-day period. Model selection via the Akaike information criterion was used to determine a set of candidate binomial generalized linear mixed models that evaluated the relationship between local climatic data and post-dispersal seed predation. Results: Annual actual evapotranspiration was the single best predictor of the proportion of seeds removed. Annual actual evapotranspiration and mean annual precipitation were both positively related to mean seed removal and were included in four and three of the top five models, respectively. Annual temperature range was also positively related to seed removal and was an explanatory variable in three of the top four models. Main conclusions: Our work provides the first evidence that energy and precipitation, which are known to affect consumer abundance and activity, also translate to strong, predictable patterns of seed predation across a continent. More generally, these findings suggest that future changes in temperature and precipitation could have widespread consequences for plant species composition in grasslands, through impacts on plant recruitment.

Objective: This study examined whether assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) under New York's "Kendra's Law" is associated with reduced arrests for violent and nonviolent offenses.Methods: Arrest records of 183 study participants attending outpatient clinics in New York City, 86 of whom were ever and 97 of whom were never assigned to AOT, were compiled to yield 16,890 months of observation. For each month the data indicated whether an arrest did or did not occur and whether a participant was or was not assigned to AOT. Generalized estimating equations and fixed-effects analyses were used to compare arrest rates within different periods (before, during or shortly after, and more than six months after) for those ever assigned and between the ever- and never-assigned groups.Results: For those who received AOT, the odds of any arrest were 2.66 times greater (p<.01) and the odds of arrest for a violent offense 8.61 times greater (p<.05) before AOT than they were in the period during and shortly after AOT. The group never receiving AOT had nearly double the odds (1.91, p<.05) of arrest compared with the AOT group in the period during and shortly after assignment.Conclusions: Outpatient commitment under Kendra's Law in New York State is associated with a reduced risk of arrest. The coercion necessitated by application of the law may forestall, at least for some people, the potentially more potent and consequential coercion they would have experienced in the criminal justice system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report describes a case of pulmonary epithelioid haemangioendothelioma presented as multi-organ metastases including lung, liver and bone in a 56-year-old woman with an initial diagnosis made with thoracoscopic wedge biopsy. The diagnosis is confirmed through immunohistochemistry. This is a rare disease, with approximately 90 cases described in the English literature and approximately 10 cases reported in China. The case of PEH presented as multiple pulmonary nodules and metastasing to liver and bone is rare in the English literature. The rarity of this condition, the lack of clear standards for treatment, and the partial-to-complete spontaneous regression of EHE seen in some patients up to 15 years from initial detection makes it difficult to decide on the most appropriate treatment. This report may contribute to the data on clinical findings and natural history of this rare tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined how community attitudes towards traditional Chinese conceptions of health and Western dichotomization of illness might affect perceptions of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) efficacy in order to identify factors underlying psychiatric service underutilization among Chinese-Americans. We administered an experimental vignette to assess perceived illness, severity, and beliefs of TCM efficacy for physical and psychiatric disorders among 90 Chinese-Americans ascertained through a national telephone survey. Perceived illness severity was unrelated to assessment of TCM effectiveness. However, psychiatric conditions tended to be viewed as distinct from physical disorders, and TCM use was endorsed as less effective for psychiatric illnesses when compared with physical illnesses. Furthermore, differences in perceived TCM efficacy appeared to be magnified among US-born respondents, with US-born respondents endorsing lower efficacy for psychiatric disorders than foreign-born respondents. These findings suggest that TCM use for psychiatric disorders may decrease with Westernization, but might delay access to psychiatric services among first-generation immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of theoretical models have defined stigma as occurring psychologically and limit its negative effects to individual processes. This paper, via an analysis of how 'face' is embodied in China, deepens an articulation of how the social aspects of stigma might incorporate the moral standing of both individual and collective actors defined within a local context. We illustrate (1) how one's moral standing is lodged within a local social world; (2) how one's status as a 'moral' community member is contingent upon upholding intrapersonal and social-transactional obligations; and (3) how loss of face and fears of moral contamination might lead to a 'social death'. We first draw from Chinese ethnographies that describe the process of human cultivation before one can achieve fully 'moral' status in society. We integrate findings from empirical studies describing how social-exchange networks in China are strictly organized based on the reciprocation of favors, moral positioning, and 'face'. We further ground these Chinese constructs within a theoretical framework of different forms of capital, and discuss the severe social consequences that loss of face entails. By utilizing the examples of schizophrenia and AIDS to illustrate how loss of moral standing and stigma is interwoven in China, we propose a model highlighting changes in moral status to describe how stigma operates. We suggest that symbolic restoration of moral status for stigmatized groups takes place as local-level stigma interventions. By analyzing the moral aspects of 'face', we propose that across cultures, stigma is embedded in the moral experience of participants, whereby stigma is conceived as a fundamentally moral issue: stigmatized conditions threaten what matters most for those in a local world. We further propose that stigma jeopardizes an actor's ability to mobilize social capital to attain essential social statuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biliary tract carcinoma (BTC) is a group of malignant tumors that originate in the digestive system and occurs with a high incidence in China. Few consistent and comparable assessments of BTC disease burden have been conducted at national or subnational levels, and little is known about the demographic, temporal, and geographic patterns of epidemiological characteristics and disease burden of BTC in China. The incidence, mortality, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), years of life lost (YLLs) due to premature death and years lived with disability (YLDs) of BTC were comprehensively examined by age, sex, and calendar year in the Chinese population, using the methodological framework and analytical strategies used for the 2021 Global Burden of Disease study. All-age incidence increased from 17,077 to 51,720 between 1990 and 2021, and the age-standardized incidence rate rose by 13.62%; all-age deaths increased from 17,251 to 37,833, but the age-standardized mortality rate fell by nearly one-fifth. The DALYs rose by 89.57% while the age-standardized DALY rate fell by 23.24%. Variations of the tendencies in BTC burden were found between sexes and age groups. Data for each provincial region indicate that coastal eastern provincial regions have higher incidence and YLD levels, whereas northern provincial regions have higher mortality, DALY, and YLL levels. The proportions of DALYs attributable to high body mass index (BMI) illustrate the growing attribution obesity has made, and high BMI usually puts more burden on northern provincial regions. These results provide evidence to support precise, targeted, and customed public health strategies aimed at enhancing biliary tract health among the Chinese population., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Particulate nitrate is a major component of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and a key target for improving air quality. Its formation is varyingly sensitive to emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO x ≡ NO + NO 2 ), ammonia (NH 3 ), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Diagnosing the dominant sensitivity is critical for effective pollution control. Here, we show that satellite observations of the NO 2 column and the NH 3 /NO 2 column ratio can effectively diagnose the dominant sensitivity regimes in polluted regions of East Asia, Europe, and North America, in different seasons, though with reduced performance in the summer. We demarcate the different sensitivity regimes using the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model and apply the method to satellite observations from the OMI (NO 2 ) and IASI (NH 3 ) in 2017. We find that the dominant sensitivity regimes vary across regions and remain largely consistent across seasons. Sensitivity to NH 3 emissions dominates in the northern North China Plain (NCP), the Yangtze River Delta, South Korea, most of Europe, Los Angeles, and the eastern United States. Sensitivity to NO x emissions dominates in central China, the Po Valley in Italy, the central United States, and the Central Valley in California. Sensitivity to VOCs emissions dominates only in the southern NCP in the winter. These results agree well with those of previous local studies. Our satellite-based indicator provides a simple tool for air quality managers to choose emission control strategies for decreasing PM 2.5 nitrate pollution.

Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Makino is a perennial herb of the genus Pinellia in the Araceae family, which is a kind of precious Chinese herbal medicine (Bai et al. 2022). In May 2023, rotting was observed on P. ternata corm in the Tanghe planting base (3.33 ha, 32º46´6˝N, 113º 8´47˝E, 138 m), with an incidence of approximately 10%. To identify the causal agent, five rotten corms were randomly sampled from the Tanghe planting base. Symptomatic corm tissues were cut into small pieces (3 mm3) with asymptomatic tissue margins, disinfected in 75% ethanol for 30s and in 2% sodium hypochlorite for 3 min, rinsed three times with sterile distilled water, and then placed on synthetic nutrient-poor agar (SNA) plates incubated at 20℃ with a 12 h light/dark photoperiod. Hyphal-tips from the growing edge of colonies were transferred to fresh SNA to obtain pure cultures. In total, five pure isolates were obtained with similar colony morphology and white (top view) or grayish white (back view) coloration, with villous surfaces and abundant aerial hyphae. On SNA, the isolates mainly produced microconidia. Microconidia were ellipsoidal to cylindrical, thin-walled, smooth, hyaline and measured 5.40 to 11.98 (av. 7.14) µm long and 1.60 to 5.38 (av. 2.54) µm thick (n=50). Based on these morphological characteristics of colony and conidia, the causal agent was preliminarily identified as Fusarium sp. (Crous et al. 2021). To confirm pathogen identity, the total genomic DNA of 2 isolates (BX-2 and BX-3) was extracted using the 2×T5 Direct PCR kit (Beijing Tsingke Biotech Co., Ltd, Beijing, China). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1), and β-tubulin (tub2) gene were PCR-amplified using the universal primers ITS1/ITS4, 5f2/7cr, EF-1/EF-2 and BT2F/BT4R (Crous et al. 2021), respectively. Sequences have been deposited in GenBank (PP125560-PP125561 for ITS, PP782474-PP782475 for rpb2, PP782476-PP782477 for tef1, PP171436-PP171437 for tub2). BLAST search showed that all sequences were 99% to 100% homology with the corresponding sequences of Fusarium proliferatum (CBS 182.32). A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the Maximum-Likelihood method in MEGA-X (Kumar et al. 2018) and revealed that the two isolates were closest to F. proliferatum. The pathogenicity tests were conducted with the two isolates (BX-2 and BX-3) as described by Liu et al. (2022) with slight modifications. For each treatment, five healthy P. ternata corms were inoculated with 1ml of conidial suspension (1×107 conidia/ml). Control plants (n=5) were inoculated with sterilized water. All samples were covered with plastic bags and maintained at a relative humidity greater than 90% in a greenhouse at 20℃ with a 12 h light/dark photoperiod. After 15 days, inoculated corms showed similar symptoms to those on the original diseased plants, while control plants remained symptomless. F. proliferatum was successfully reisolated from the inoculated plants and identified based on its morphological characteristics. Thus, Koch's postulates were fulfilled. The experiment was repeated thrice with similar results. Morphological characteristics, sequence alignment and Koch's postulates test confirmed that F. proliferatum was the cause of P. ternata corm rot disease. To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. proliferatum causing P. ternata corm rot in Henan province, China. Our findings are important for informed surveillance of the disease.

Background: Few implementation science (IS) measures have been evaluated for validity, reliability and utility - the latter referring to whether a measure captures meaningful aspects of implementation contexts. We present a real-world case study of rigorous measure development in IS that assesses Barriers and Facilitators in Implementation of Task-Sharing in Mental Health services (BeFITS-MH), with the objective of offering lessons-learned and a framework to enhance measurement utility., Methods: We summarize conceptual and empirical work that informed the development of the BeFITS-MH measure, including a description of the Delphi process, detailed translation and local adaptation procedures, and concurrent pilot testing. As validity and reliability are key aspects of measure development, we also report on our process of assessing the measure's construct validity and utility for the implementation outcomes of acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility., Results: Continuous stakeholder involvement and concurrent pilot testing resulted in several adaptations of the BeFITS-MH measure's structure, scaling, and format to enhance contextual relevance and utility. Adaptations of broad terms such as "program," "provider type," and "type of service" were necessary due to the heterogeneous nature of interventions, type of task-sharing providers employed, and clients served across the three global sites. Item selection benefited from the iterative process, enabling identification of relevance of key aspects of identified barriers and facilitators, and what aspects were common across sites. Program implementers' conceptions of utility regarding the measure's acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility clustered across several common categories., Conclusions: This case study provides a rigorous, multi-step process for developing a pragmatic IS measure. The process and lessons learned will aid in the teaching, practice and research of IS measurement development. The importance of including experiences and knowledge from different types of stakeholders in different global settings was reinforced and resulted in a more globally useful measure while allowing for locally-relevant adaptation. To increase the relevance of the measure it is important to target actionable domains that predict markers of utility (e.g., successful uptake) per program implementers' preferences. With this case study, we provide a detailed roadmap for others seeking to develop and validate IS measures that maximize local utility and impact., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

D-dimer is a biomarker of coagulation and fibrinolytic system activation in response to the hypercoagulable state of the body. The research aimed to analyze the value of D-dimer in the prognosis of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Patients admitted to our center for the first time with DCM were enrolled consecutively. The clinical characteristics variables were obtained from the electronic medical record system, and the prognostic information was obtained using telephone return visits and a review of repeated hospitalization records. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression was used to explore the association of D-dimer with all-cause mortality. Smooth curve fitting, threshold saturation effect analysis, and subgroup analysis were performed. Ultimately, 534 patients were included. After a follow-up of the enrolled patients, 485 patients obtained prognostic information, of which 159 died from all causes, and the main cause of death was heart failure (89/159), the sudden death accounted for about 17%. The independent positive association between D-dimer and all-cause mortality remained unchanged in both unadjusted and adjusted Cox regression models. In the fully adjusted model, each standard deviation increase in D-dimer was associated with a 14% increase in all-cause mortality (HR = 1.14; 95% CI: 1.02 ~ 1.27; P < 0.05). Curve fitting and threshold effect analysis showed an inflection point in the relationship between D-dimer and all-cause mortality (non-linear test: P = 0.03). When D-dimer was equal to 362ng/ml, HR = 1; and as the value increased, the risk of all-cause mortality increased by 34.7% for every 2-fold increase in D-dimer gradually (HR = 1.347; 95% CI: 1.069 ~ 1.697; P = 0.012). In subgroup analysis, D-dimer and BMI had a significant interaction on all-cause mortality, with a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality in subjects with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m 2 (HR = 1.99; 95% CI: 1.34 ~ 2.97; P < 0.01). The ROC curve showed that D-dimer was a good predictor of all-cause mortality, and the areas under the curve at 1-, 3-, and 5-year were 0.71, 0.64, and 0.59, respectively. In addition, D-dimer improved the predictive performance of the MAGGIC heart failure score in patients with DCM. D-dimer is not only independently associated with all-cause mortality in DCM patients, but also has good predictive value, suggesting that D-dimer may be an early and useful marker for improving the management of DCM patients., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi) exhibit superior efficacy in relapsed/refractory primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), but few studies have evaluated patients with newly diagnosed PCNSL, and even fewer studies have evaluated differences in efficacy between treatment with BTKi and traditional chemotherapy. This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics of 86 patients with PCNSL and identified predictors of poor prognosis for overall survival (OS). After excluding patients who only received palliative care, 82 patients were evaluated for efficacy and survival. According to the induction regimen, patients were divided into the traditional chemotherapy, BTKi combination therapy, and radiotherapy groups; the objective response rates (ORR) of the three groups were 71.4%, 96.2%, and 71.4% (P = 0.037), respectively. Both median progression-free survival and median duration of remission showed statistically significant differences (P = 0.019 and P = 0.030, respectively). The median OS of the BTKi-containing therapy group was also longer than that of the traditional chemotherapy group (not reached versus 47.8 (32.5-63.1) months, P = 0.038).Seventy-one patients who achieved an ORR were further analyzed, and achieved an ORR after four cycles of treatment and maintenance therapy had prolonged OS (P = 0.003 and P = 0.043, respectively). In conclusion, survival, and prognosis of patients with newly diagnosed PCNSL are influenced by the treatment regimen, with the BTKi-containing regimen showing great potential., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Smart environment is an efficient and cost- effective way to afford intelligent supports for the elderly people. Human activity recognition (HAR) is a crucial aspect of the research field of smart environments, and it has attracted widespread attention lately. The goal of this study is to develop an effective sensor-based HAR model based on the belief-rule-based system (BRBS), which is one of representative rule-based expert systems. Specially, a new belief rule base (BRB) modeling approach is proposed by taking into account the self- organizing rule generation method and the multi-temporal rule representation scheme, in order to address the problem of combination explosion that existed in the traditional BRB modelling procedure and the time correlation found in continuous sensor data in chronological order. The new BRB modeling approach is so called self-organizing and multi-temporal BRB (SOMT-BRB) modeling procedure. A case study is further deducted to validate the effectiveness of the SOMT-BRB modeling procedure. By comparing with some conventional BRBSs and classical activity recognition models, the results show a significant improvement of the BRBS in terms of the number of belief rules, modelling efficiency, and activity recognition accuracy.

Background and Hypothesis: Numerous studies have found that being born or raised in urban environments increases the odds of developing psychosis in Northern and Western Europe. However, available research from Southern Europe, Latin America, and Asia has reported null results. A limitation in most studies to date is the inadequate characterization of urban and rural life components that may contribute to varying psychosis risk across regions., Study Design: To deepen our understanding of the different concepts and measures of urbanicity and related factors in psychosis research, we conducted a qualitative systematic literature review extracting information from studies published between 2000 and 2024., Study Results: Sixty-one articles met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were used in the thematic analysis. The analysis revealed that urbanicity lacked a single, coherent definition across studies and regions. Three major categories of themes were developed from the analysis: (1) Urbanicity comprises several interconnected constructs, (2) Urbanicity measurements vary between countries from the Global North and the Global South, and (3) Urbanicity operates through key neighborhood-level mechanisms., Conclusions: Future research on urbanicity and psychosis should consider the potential limitations of urbanicity's conceptualization and operationalization and aim to address these limitations by focusing on contextual, historical, and community-level factors, utilizing locally validated measures, and employing mixed-method designs., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

This study aims to evaluate the potential benefits of treating spinal cord injury (SCI) patients with acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF), a potent neurotrophic factor that preserves neuronal survival. The study involved 12 tetraplegic patients with American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) Grade A SCI who were randomly assigned to receive either a recombinant human aFGF or a placebo every 4 weeks for three doses. Participants underwent comprehensive evaluations of medical, neurological, and functional parameters at baseline and every 4 weeks after the first dose until the 48th week. The first dose was administered directly to the injury site during surgery within 6 weeks of the SCI, while the subsequent two doses were administered via lumbar puncture with a 4-week interval. The results revealed promising beneficial effects of aFGF on AIS Grade A SCI patients. The study report highlights aFGF's potential to expedite motor recovery in complete SCI patients and significantly increase the probability of a 10-point improvement when compared to the placebo group (odds ratio = 6.06, p = 0.0004). Furthermore, aFGF treatment exhibited a significant reduction ( p < 0.01) in the incidence or exacerbation rate of myelomalacia, a known secondary complication following SCIs., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.)

Sugar serves as the primary energy source for mammals, with glucose metabolism facilitating energy acquisition in human cells. The proper functioning of intracellular glucose metabolism is essential for the maintenance of orderly and healthy physiological activities. Tumor cells, characterized by uncontrolled growth, exhibit dysregulated proliferation and apoptosis processes, leading to abnormal alterations in glucose metabolism. Specifically, tumor cells exhibit a shift towards aerobic glycolysis, resulting in the production of lactic acid that can be utilized as a metabolic intermediate for sustained tumor cell growth. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the enzymes involved in glucose metabolism and the alterations in gene expression that occur during tumor progression. It also examines the current research on targeting abnormal glucose metabolism processes for tumor treatment and discusses potential future directions for utilizing glucose metabolism as a therapeutic target., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)