Search

Seven new species of the family Psychomyiidae Walker, 1852 are described and illustrated from China; they are Psychomyia shuni sp. nov., Ps. mangshanensis sp. nov., Ps. capricornis sp. nov., Lype sagittalis sp. nov., Paduniella fasciaria sp. nov., Pa. sanyaensis sp. nov., and Tinodes aviformis sp. nov. The genus Lype is reported for the first time from mainland China. In addition, four psychomyiids are found to be new to the Chinese caddis fauna: Psychomyia indra Malicky & Chantaramongkol, 1993; Paduniella andamanensis Malicky, 1979; Pa. dendrobia Malicky & Chantaramongkol, 1993; and Tinodes gapbona Johanson & Oláh, 2008. Moreover, Psychomyia polyacantha Li, Qiu & Morse, 2021 is reviewed and synonymized with Psychomyia imamiah Malicky, 2020.

Abstract The endeavor to enhance utility of organic molecular cages involves the evolution of them into higher-level chiral superstructures with self-similar, presenting a meaningful yet challenging. In this work, 2D tri-bladed propeller-shaped triphenylbenzene serves as building blocks to synthesize a racemic 3D tri-bladed propeller-shaped helical molecular cage. This cage, in turn, acts as a building block for a pair of higher-level 3D tri-bladed chiral helical molecular cages, featuring multilayer sandwich structures and displaying elegant characteristics with self-similarity in discrete superstructures at different levels. The evolutionary procession of higher-level cages reveals intramolecular self-shielding effects and exclusive chiral narcissistic self-sorting behaviors. Enantiomers higher-level cages can be interconverted by introducing an excess of corresponding chiral cyclohexanediamine. In the solid state, higher-level cages self-assemble into supramolecular architectures of L-helical or D-helical nanofibers, achieving the scale transformation of chiral characteristics from chiral atoms to microscopic and then to mesoscopic levels.

Abstract Background Liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) play an important role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the mechanisms that link LCSCs to HCC metastasis remain largely unknown. This study aims to reveal the contributions of NRCAM to LCSC function and HCC metastasis, and further explore its mechanism in detail. Methods 117 HCC and 29 non-HCC patients with focal liver lesions were collected and analyzed to assess the association between NRCAM and HCC metastasis. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was used to explore the biological characteristics of cells with high NRCAM expression in metastatic HCC. The role and mechanism of NRCAM in LCSC dissemination and metastasis was explored in vitro and in vivo using MYC-driven LCSC organoids from murine liver cells. Results Serum NRCAM is associated with HCC metastasis and poor prognosis. A scRNA-seq analysis identified that NRCAM was highly expressed in LCSCs with MYC activation in metastatic HCC. Moreover, NRCAM facilitated LCSC migration and invasion, which was confirmed in MYC-driven LCSC organoids. The in vivo tumor allografts demonstrated that NRCAM mediated intra-hepatic/lung HCC metastasis by enhancing the ability of LCSCs to escape from tumors into the bloodstream. Nrcam expression inhibition in LCSCs blocked HCC metastasis. Mechanistically, NRCAM activated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis-related matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) through the MACF1 mediated β-catenin signaling pathway in LCSCs. Conclusions LCSCs typified by high NRCAM expression have a strong ability to invade and migrate, which is an important factor leading to HCC metastasis.

Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) flower polysaccharides (TFPS) have various health-promoting functions. In the present work, the structure of a purified TFPS fraction, namely TFPS-1-3p, and its in vitro digestive properties were investigated. The results demonstrated that TFPS-1-3p was a typical heteropolysaccharide consisting of rhamnose (Rha), arabinose (Ara), galactose (Gal) and galacturonic acid (GalA) with a molecular weight of 47.77 kDa. The backbone of TFPS-1-3p contained → 4)-α-d-GalpA(-6-OMe)-(1 → 4)-α-GalpA-(1 → and → 4)-α-d-GalpA(-6-OMe)-(1 → 2,4)-α-l-Rhap-(1 → linkages. The branch linkages in TFPS-1-3p contained → 6)-β-d-Galp-(1→, →3,6)-β-d-Galp-(1→, →5)-α-l-Araf-(1 → and → 3,5)-α-l-Araf-(1 →. Subsequently, TFPS-1-3p could not be degraded under simulated human gastrointestinal conditions but could be of use to human fecal microbes, thereby lowering the pH and increasing the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) of the gut microenvironment and altering the composition of the gut microbiota. The relative abundance of Fusobacterium_mortiferum Megasphaera_elsdenii_DSM_20460, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, Bacteroides plebeius and Collinsella aerofaciens increased significantly, potentially contributing to the degradation of TFPS-1-3p.

The preparation of bio-butanol from corn starch requires saccharification and fermentation processes. In view of the fact that the pH value at the later stage of fermentation is applicable to the enzymatic hydrolysis of glucoamylase, the effects of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) and separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) were compared in this paper. 11.2 g/L butanol and 21.5 g/L total solvent could be obtained by the SSF process, while the yield was 9.74 g/L butanol and 17.2 g/L total solvent in the SHF process. The SSF process required a shorter overall process time (120 h) than the SHF process (144 h) and resulted in a large increase of 38.9% in butanol productivity (2.25 g/Ld for SSF compared to 1.62 g/Ld for SHF). These results show that the application of SSF can reduce the fermentation overall time, simplify the fermentation process, and reduce equipment investment and operating costs.

Background: Pseudolymphoma is a rare, benign, nonspecific condition that forms a mass-like lesion characterized by the proliferation of non-neoplastic lymphocytes. Lacking of specific clinical symptoms, serological markers, and imaging features, the diagnosis is difficult. We reporte five cases of hepatic pseudolymphoma and provide a systematic review of existing literatures to improve our understanding of this rare liver disease. Methods: We followed-up five cases of hepatic pseudolymphoma in West China Hospital from January 2002 to January 2022. We also summarized the cases of hepatic pseudolymphoma from January 1981 to December 2021 through the PubMed database and comprehensively analyzed the characteristics of the cases. Results: The pathologic features of the five cases were characterized by benign lymphoid tissue hyperplasia, lymphoid follicle formation, and a polarized germinal center. Immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and gene rearrangement revealed non-malignant lymphoma. Besides, a total of 116 cases have been reported in the PubMed database from 1981 to 2021. The incidence of hepatic pseudolymphoma is higher in middle-aged and elderly women and has been reported more frequently in Asia. All cases were pathologically diagnosed, among which 85.95% of the patients were treated by surgery. Conclusions: Hepatic pseudolymphoma is an extremely rare benign disease, mainly in middle-aged and elderly women. Without distinctive clinical and imaging characteristics, pathological diagnosis is the highly reliable method at present. Thus, in the absence of risk factors for a primary liver tumor or metastatic tumor in middle-aged and elderly women, the possibility of pseudolymphoma should be considered to avoid extensive treatments.

Multilayered AZ91-(SiCP/AZ91) clad plates were fabricated at 300, 350 ℃ and 400 ℃ successfully by extrusion. The microstructure evolution, bonding interface and the mechanical properties of the AZ91-(SiCP/AZ91) clad plates were investigated in detail. The results show that grain of both of the AZ91 layer and SiCP/AZ91 layer are refined due to the dynamic recrystallization (DRX) during the extrusion processes and the SiCP/AZ91 layer processes much finer grain size. The SiCP distribution of SiCP/AZ91 layer is improved with increasing of extrusion temperature. No obvious delamination is observed in the AZ91-(SiCP/AZ91) clad plates fabricated at different temperatures. The metallurgical bonding of the interface between AZ91 and SiCP/AZ91 basically occurs in the extrusion die. The room-temperature strength of the AZ91-(SiCP/AZ91) composite lies between the AZ91 alloy and the SiCP/AZ91, corresponding well with the rule of mixture (ROM). The inadhesion of the SiCP in the SiCP/AZ91 layer is the main reason for the failure of the AZ91-(SiCP/AZ91) clad plates during tensile test.

The present research investigated the creep properties of the Mg-8Gd-2Y-0.5Zr alloys with different microstructures (as-cast, as-solution, T6 and as-extruded) after creeping at 200 ℃/70 MPa for 100 hours. Effects of the microstructures, including grain size, Mg5(Gd, Y) phase in cast alloy, β′ phase on creep properties were studied. The as-extruded alloy shows the worst creep resistance due to the refined grains caused by dynamic recrystallization resulting from the extrusion process. Although the Mg5(Gd, Y) phase located at the grain boundary can improve the creep properties of the cast alloy in the early stage creep, the precipitates of β′ phase in T6 alloy and those formed during the creep process in as-solution alloy, which can effectively inhibit the dislocation gliding, can be attributed as an important factor in improving the high temperature creep performance of the alloys. Consequently, the alloy after T6 treatment exhibited the lowest creep rate and the as-solution alloy possessed a better creep resistance than that of the cast alloy during the steady-state creep.

BackgroundNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common chronic liver disease that affects approximately one-quarter of the global population and is becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide. The lack of current noninvasive tools and efficient treatment is recognized as a significant barrier to the clinical management of these conditions. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoscale vesicles released by various cells and deliver bioactive molecules to target cells, thereby mediating various processes, including the development of NAFLD.Scope of reviewThere is still a long way to actualize the application of EVs in NAFLD diagnosis and treatment. Herein, we summarize the roles of EVs in NAFLD and highlight their prospects for clinical application as a novel noninvasive diagnostic tool as well as a promising therapy for NAFLD, owing to their unique physiochemical characteristics. We summarize the literatures on the mechanisms by which EVs act as mediators of intercellular communication by regulating metabolism, insulin resistance, inflammation, immune response, intestinal microecology, and fibrosis in NAFLD. We also discuss future challenges that must be resolved to improve the therapeutic potential of EVs.Major conclusionsThe levels and contents of EVs change dynamically at different stages of diseases and this phenomenon may be exploited for establishing sensitive stage-specific markers. EVs also have high application potential as drug delivery systems with low immunogenicity and high biocompatibility and can be easily engineered. Research on the mechanisms and clinical applications of EVs in NAFLD is in its initial phase and the applicability of EVs in NAFLD diagnosis and treatment is expected to grow with technological progress.

The male adult of Molanna truncata Ge, Peng & Sun sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on material collected in Si-chuan, China. It could be diagnosed by the subtriangular superior appendages when viewed dorsally, and by the mesal appendages each having a slender thorn and inferior appendages with a tiny inner process. Based on morphology of genitalia, we provide a dichotomous key to adult males of Molanna from the Oriental region. The DNA barcodes (partial mt COI sequences) of M. truncata sp. nov. are generated and compared with existing sequences of Molanna species from Oriental and Palearctic regions. The mean intraspecific divergence of Molanna was 1.58% with a maximum of 8.50% in M. moesta. The Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD) analysis of Molanna inferred 9 OTUs and thresholds of interspecific divergence of 10%. Divergence of M. truncata sp. nov. haplotypes from all other Molanna haplotypes ranged from 10.1% to 18%. We discuss distribution and potential groups of species within the Oriental Molanna species based on morphology.

Abstract Background Height is an important anthropometric measurement and is associated with many health-related outcomes. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified hundreds of genetic loci associated with height, mainly in individuals of European ancestry. Methods We performed genome-wide association analyses and replicated previously reported GWAS-determined single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Taiwanese Han population (Taiwan Biobank; n = 67,452). A genetic instrument composed of 251 SNPs was selected from our GWAS, based on height and replication results as the best-fit polygenic risk score (PRS), in accordance with the clumping and p-value threshold method. We also examined the association between genetically determined height (PRS251) and measured height (phenotype). We performed observational (phenotype) and genetic PRS251 association analyses of height and health-related outcomes. Results GWAS identified 6843 SNPs in 89 genomic regions with genome-wide significance, including 18 novel loci. These were the most strongly associated genetic loci (EFEMP1, DIS3L2, ZBTB38, LCORL, HMGA1, CS, and GDF5) previously reported to play a role in height. There was a positive association between PRS251 and measured height (p < 0.001). Of the 14 traits and 49 diseases analyzed, we observed significant associations of measured and genetically determined height with only eight traits (p < 0.05/[14 + 49]). Height was positively associated with body weight, waist circumference, and hip circumference but negatively associated with body mass index, waist-hip ratio, body fat, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p < 0.05/[14 + 49]). Conclusions This study contributes to the understanding of the genetic features of height and health-related outcomes in individuals of Han Chinese ancestry in Taiwan.