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Previous observational studies revealed a potential but partially controversial relation between lipid metabolism and the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), potentially prone to bias. Therefore, we aimed to study whether lipid metabolism involves genetically determined risk factors for ALS through Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.Using genome-wide association study summary-level data for total cholesterol (TC) (n = 188,578), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (n = 403,943), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (n = 440,546), apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) (n = 391,193), apolipoprotein B (ApoB) (n = 439,214), and ALS (12,577 cases and 23,475 controls), we implemented a bidirectional MR study to evaluate a genetic relation between lipids and ALS risk. We performed a mediation analysis to assess whether LDL-C is a potential mediator on the pathway from traits of LDL-C-related polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to ALS risk.We identified genetically predicted increased lipid levels to be associated with the risk of ALS, whereby elevated LDL-C had the most potent effect (OR 1.028, 95% CI 1.008-1.049, p = 0.006). The effect of increased levels of apolipoproteins on ALS was similar to their corresponding lipoproteins. ALS did not cause any changes in lipid levels. We found no relation between LDL-C-modifying lifestyles and ALS. The mediation analysis revealed that LDL-C could act as an active mediator for linoleic acid, with the mediation effect estimated to be 0.009.We provided high-level genetic evidence verifying the positive link between preclinically elevated lipid and ALS risk that had been described in previous genetic and observational studies. We also demonstrated the mediating role of LDL-C in the pathway from PUFAs to ALS.

To investigate the causal role of lipid or apolipoprotein traits in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and determine the effect of lipid-lowering interventions on the disease.Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were conducted to evaluate the associations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), apolipoprotein (Apo)B and ApoA1 levels with risks for ICH, and those of LDL-C- (HMGCR, PCSK9, and NPC1L1) and TG-lowering targets (LPL and APOC3) with ICH.Increased levels of ApoB was associated with a decreased risk of overall ICH (OR 0.623, 95% CI 0.413-0.940; p = 0.024) and lobar ICH (OR 0.579, 95% CI 0.342-0.979; p = 0.042). The inverse relationship remained stable in multivariable MR. In addition, elevated TGs showed a causal effect on lobar ICH in multivariable MR (OR 1.600, 95% CI 1.009-2.537; p = 0.046). The LDL-C-reducing genetic variation alleles at or near the HMGCR gene (mimicking the effect of statins) were predicted to increase the overall and deep ICH risk. Additionally, genetic variation at or near the APOC3 gene suggested that genetically reducing the activity of APOC3 (mimicking antisense anti-apoC3 agents) was predicted to decrease lobar ICH.Genetically predicted elevated ApoB may have a protective effect on overall ICH and lobar ICH, whereas elevated TG was associated with a higher risk of lobar ICH conditional on LDL-C and ApoB. MR analysis supports the conclusion that statins may increase the risk of overall and deep ICH independent of their lipid-lowering effect. More specific lipid-lowering targets may end up being the future. ANN NEUROL 2022;92:390-399.

Background Seabuckthorn carpenter moth, Eogystia hippophaecolus (Hua, Chou, Fang, & Chen, 1990), is the most important boring pest of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) in the northwest of China. It is responsible for the death of large areas of H. rhamnoides forest, seriously affecting the ecological environment and economic development in north-western China. To clarify the potential distribution of E. hippophaecolus in China, the present study used the CLIMEX 4.0.0 model to project the potential distribution of the pest using historical climate data (1981-2010) and simulated future climate data (2011-2100) for China. Results Under historical climate condition, E. hippophaecolus would be found to be distributed mainly between 27° N-51° N and 74° E-134° E, with favorable and highly favorable habitats accounting for 35.2% of the total potential distribution. Under future climate conditions, E. hippophaecolus would be distributed mainly between 27° N-53° N and 74° E-134° E, with the possibility of moving in a northwest direction. Under these conditions, the proportion of the total area providing a favorable and highly favorable habitat may decrease to about 33%. Conclusion These results will help to identify the impact of climate change on the potential distribution of E. hippophaecolus, thereby providing a theoretical basis for monitoring and early forecasting of pest outbreaks. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

BACKGROUND Two editions of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD) diagnostic criteria for "Headache attributed to an intracranial endovascular procedure" have been published, in 2004 and 2013.1,2 Despite studies that have suggested that the former is not very practical, the ICHD-3 beta did not contain major changes. Moreover, so far no consensus exists regarding characteristics of headache after intracranial endovascular procedure. Thus, there is a need for sound suggestions to improve the ICHD-3 beta diagnostic criteria. METHODS Using a prospective design, we identified consecutive patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) with neuroendovascular treatment from January 2014 to December 2014. RESULTS In total, 73 patients were enrolled, and 58 patients ultimately completed the 6-month follow-up. After the procedure, five of the 29 patients (17.2%) with pre-existing headache experienced marked worsening after the procedure, while seven of the 29 patients without prior headache developed new-onset headache post-procedurally. The headaches started within 24 hours, with a mean duration of 24-72 hours. The headaches were moderate to severe. The eligibility of these events to be considered headaches caused by neuroendovascular procedures according to the ICHD-3 beta diagnostic criteria for designation was far from ideal. CONCLUSIONS Most cases of markedly worsening headaches and new-onset headaches started within 24 hours and persisted longer than that specified in the ICHD-3 beta diagnostic criteria. Moreover, considering that some items are not very practical, the ICHD-3 beta diagnostic criteria should be revised in the light of recent literature reports.

We reconstructed a phylogenetic tree of Chinese vascular plants (Tracheophyta) using sequences of the chloroplast genes atpB, matK, ndhF, and rbcL and mitochondrial matR. We produced a matrix comprising 6098 species and including 13 695 DNA sequences, of which 1803 were newly generated. Our taxonomic sampling spanned 3114 genera representing 323 families of Chinese vascular plants, covering more than 93% of all genera known from China. The comprehensive large phylogeny supports most relationships among and within families recognized by recent molecular phylogenetic studies for lycophytes, ferns (monilophytes), gymnosperms, and angiosperms. For angiosperms, most families in Angiosperm Phylogeny Group IV are supported as monophyletic, except for a paraphyletic Dipterocarpaceae and Santalaceae. The infrafamilial relationships of several large families and monophyly of some large genera are well supported by our dense taxonomic sampling. Our results showed that two species of Eberhardtia are sister to a clade formed by all other taxa of Sapotaceae, except Sarcosperma. We have made our phylogeny of Chinese vascular plants publically available for the creation of subtrees via SoTree (http://www.darwintree.cn/flora/index.shtml), an automated phylogeny assembly tool for ecologists.

Best of both worlds: A heterostructured material is synthesized that comprises a core of layered lithium-rich material and an outer layer of nanospinel material. This spinel/layered heterostructured material maximizes the inherent advantages of the 3D Li(+) insertion/extraction framework of the spinel structure and the high Li(+) storage capacity of the layered structure. The material exhibits super-high reversible capacities, outstanding rate capability and excellent cycling ability.

Recent years have seen rapid advances in our knowledge of the transcriptomic consequences of allopolyploidy, primarily through the study of polyploid crops and model systems. However, few studies have distinguished between homoeologs and between tissues, and still fewer have examined young natural allopolyploid populations of independent origin, whose parental species are still present in the same location. Here, we examined the expression of 13 homoeolog pairs in seven tissues of 10 plants of allotetraploid Tragopogon mirus from two natural populations formed by independent polyploidizations between Tragopogon dubius and Tragopogon porrifolius c. 40 generations ago. We compare these with patterns of expression in the diploid parental species from the same locality. Of the 910 assays in T. mirus, 576 (63%) showed expression of both homoeologs, 63 (7%) showed no expression of either homoeolog, 186 (20%) showed nonexpression of one homoeolog across all tissues of a plant, and 72 (8%) showed non-expression of a homoeolog in a particular tissue within a plant. We found two cases of reciprocal tissue-specific expression between homoeologs, potentially indicative of subfunctionalization. Our study shows that tissue-specific silencing, and even apparent subfunctionalization, can arise rapidly in the early generations of natural allopolyploidy.