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Background: Breast cancer has been the first death cause of cancer in women all over the world. Metastasis is believed to be the most important process for treating breast cancer. There is evidence that lncRNA MEG3 functions as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer metastasis. However, upstream regulation of MEG3 in breast cancer remain elusive. Therefore, it is critical to elucidate the underlying mechanism upstream MEG3 to regulate breast cancer metastasis. Methods: We employed RT-qPCR and Western blot to examine expression level of miR-506, DNMT1, SP1, SP3 and MEG3. Besides, methylation-specific PCR was used to determine the methylation level of MEG3 promoter. Wound healing assay and transwell invasion assay were utilized to measure migration and invasion ability of breast cancer cells, respectively. Results: SP was upregulated while miR-506 and MEG3 were downregulated in breast tumor tissue compared to adjacent normal breast tissues. In addition, we found that miR-506 regulated DNMT1 expression in an SP1/SP3-dependent manner, which reduced methylation level of MEG3 promoter and upregulated MEG3 expression. SP3 knockdown or miR-506 mimic suppressed migration and invasion of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells whereas overexpression of SP3 compromised miR-506-inhibited migration and invasion. Conclusions: Our data reveal a novel axis of miR-506/SP3/SP1/DNMT1/MEG3 in regulating migration and invasion of breast cancer cell lines, which provide rationales for developing effective therapies to treating metastatic breast cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammation plays a major role in the development of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. Recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide (rhBNP), a man-made version of a peptide that is elevated in heart failure, exhibits anti-inflammatory effects in various tissues. However, its role in myocardial IR injury remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that treatment with rhBNP provided protection for mice against myocardial IR injury as manifested by reduced infarct size and well-preserved myocardial, attenuated inflammatory infiltration and CD4+ T cell proliferation function, and inhibited expression of proinflammatory related genes. Furthermore, mechanistic studies revealed that rhBNP inhibited Jurkat T proliferation by promoting PI3K/AKT/mTOR phosphorylation. Collectively, our data suggest that the administration of rhBNP during IR injury could expand our understanding of the cardioprotective effects of rhBNP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elastic constants and mechanical properties play a pivotal role across multiple disciplines and engineering applications. We introduced the optimized high-efficient strain-matrix set (OHESS) that determines the second-order elastic constants of materials using the stress–strain method. Herein, we systematically investigate the computational efficiency of OHESS across a broad range of crystal systems and compare it with other notable stress–strain approaches, such as the single-element strain-matrix sets and the universal linear-independent coupling strains. Notably, our data affirm the superior efficacy of OHESS among the strain-matrix sets under consideration. We believe OHESS will markedly improve computational efficiency in determining the elastic constants and mechanical properties, becoming an indispensable tool for material research, design, and high-throughput screening. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen, as a potential replacement for fossil fuels, exhibits promising application prospects and, meanwhile, demands hydrogen sensors with high performance due to flammability and explosivity. Currently, most of hydrogen sensors work based on sorption of hydrogen with hydrogen-sensitive materials. Thus, the sensitivities of the sensors decrease with operating temperature because the reaction between sensitive materials and hydrogen weakens. Here, we create a hydrogen sensor on the basis of an acoustic topological material, in which hydrogen can be detected by measuring the shift of the topological interface state. Owing to the absence of hydrogen sorption, the sensor possesses advantages of an extremely wide operating temperature range, a good linearity, a rapid and stable dynamic response, and a long life. It is demonstrated that the relative sensitivity of the sensor is a constant, which does not change with the operating temperature. This study opens an avenue to application of acoustic topological materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate a diode-pumped passively cw mode-locked Nd:CaGdAlO4 laser operating at 1079nm with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror for the first time to the best of our knowledge. The threshold pump power of the laser is 180mW. A maximum average output power of 93mW is obtained under the pump power of 1.94 W. The pulse duration of the mode-locked pulses is 3.1 ps and the repetition rate is 157 MHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe three cases of overlapping Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) Encephalitis and Autoimmune Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Astrocytopathy (GFAP-A). The three cases all presented with initial symptoms of fever, headache, coma, and posture tremor of the upper limbs, then followed by limb weakness and dysuria. All of the three cases were on ventilators. Case 1 and 2 improved dramatically after intravenous methylprednisoloneand immunoglobulin treatment. However, case 3 presented dyspneic, and died from gastrointestinal hemorrhage. The GFAP-A triggered by EBV intracranial infection could initially masquerade as EBV encephalitis only, and the detection of GFAP antibody is essential for differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC), which frequently metastasizes to the liver, is one of the three leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Growing evidence suggests that a subset of cells exists among cancer stem cells. This distinct subpopulation is thought to contribute to liver metastasis; however, it has not been fully explored in CRC yet.Methods: Flow cytometry analysis was performed to detect distinct subsets with CD133 and CXCR4 markers in human primary and metastatic CRC tissues. The 'stemness' and metastatic capacities of different subpopulations derived from the colon cancer cell line HCT116 were compared in vitro and in vivo. The roles of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stromal-cell derived factor-1 (SDF-1) in the metastatic process were also investigated. A survival curve was used to explore the correlation between the content of CD133(+)CXCR4(+) cancer cells and patient survival.Results: In human specimens, the content of CD133(+)CXCR4(+) cells was higher in liver metastases than in primary colorectal tumors. Clonogenic and tumorigenic cells were restricted to CD133(+) cells in the HCT116 cell line, with CXCR4 expression having no impact on the 'stemness' properties. We found that CD133(+)CXCR4(+)cancer cells had a high metastatic capacity in vitro and in vivo. Compared with CD133(+)CXCR4(-) cells, CD133(+)CXCR4(+)cancer cells experienced EMT, which contributed partly to their metastatic phenotype. We then determined that SDF-1/CXCL12 treatment could further induce EMT in CD133(+)CXCR4(+)cancer cells and enhance their invasive behavior, while this could not be observed in CD133(+)CXCR4- cancer cells. Blocking SDF-1/CXCR4 interaction with a CXCR4 antagonist, AMD3100 (1,10-[1,4-phenylenebis(methylene)]bis-1,4,8,11 -tetraazacyclotetradecane octahydrochloride), inhibited metastatic tumor growth in a mouse hepatic metastasis model. Finally, a high percentage of CD133(+)CXCR4(+)cells in human primary CRC was associated with a reduced two-year survival rate.Conclusions: Strategies targeting the SDF-1/CXCR4 interaction may have important clinical applications in the suppression of colon cancer metastasis. Further investigations on how high expression of CXCR4 and EMT occur in this identified cancer stem cell subset are warranted to provide insights into our understanding of tumor biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is challenging to insulate sound transmission in low frequency-bands without blocking the air flow in a pipe. In this work, a small and light membrane-based cubic sound insulator is created to block acoustic waves in multiple low frequency-bands from 200 to 800 Hz in pipes. Due to distinct vibration modes of the membrane-type faces of the insulator and co-action of acoustic waves transmitting along different paths, large sound attenuation is achieved in multiple frequency-bands, and the maximum transmission loss reaches 25 dB. Furthermore, because the sound insulator with a deep subwavelength size is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the pipe, it does not block ventilation along the pipe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a Nd:LaMgAl11O19 (Nd:LMA) disordered crystal, we have experimentally demonstrated a diode-pumped high-repetition-rate Q-switched laser, which can operate at 1056, 1083 nm, or 1056 and 1083 nm, respectively, using a SF6 prism to adjust the cavity loss. For the three states, the characteristics of the Nd:LMA laser including the average output power, pulse width and frequency repetition rate have also been investigated in details. For 1056 nm, the Q-switched laser is obtained in the absorbed pump power range of 3.0–5.0 W. When the absorbed pump power is 5.0 W, the corresponding output power, pulse width and frequency repetition rate are 404 mW, 2.64 µs and 157.8 kHz, respectively. For 1083 nm, the Q-switched laser is achieved at the absorbed pump power of 6.2 W, and the corresponding output power, pulse width and frequency repetition rate are 201 mW, 3.93 µs and 101.9 kHz, respectively. For 1056 and 1083 nm, the Q-switched laser is achieved at the absorbed pump power of 6.2 W, and the corresponding output power, pulse width and frequency repetition rate are 406 mW, 2.52 µs and 101.5 kHz, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Juvenile polyposis syndrome (JPS) is a rare disorder characterized by the presence of multiple juvenile polyps in the gastrointestinal tract, and germline mutations in SMAD4 or BMPR1A. Due to its rarity and complex clinical manifestation, misdiagnosis often occurs in clinical practice.Case Presentation: A 42-year-old man with multiple pedunculated colorectal polyps and concomitant rectal adenocarcinoma was admitted to our hospital. His mother had died of colon cancer. He was diagnosed with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and underwent total proctocolectomy and ileal pouch anal anastomosis. Two polyps were selected for pathological examination. One polyp had cystically dilated glands with slight dysplasia. The other polyp displayed severe dysplasia and was diagnosed as adenoma. Three years later, his 21-year-old son underwent a colonoscopy that revealed more than 50 pedunculated colorectal juvenile polyps. Both patients harbored a germline pathogenic mutation in BMPR1A. Endoscopic resection of all polyps was attempted but failed. Finally, the son received endoscopic resection of polyps in the rectum and sigmoid colon, and laparoscopic subtotal colectomy. Ten polyps were selected for pathological examination. All were revealed to be typical juvenile polyps, with cystically dilated glands filled with mucus. Thus, the diagnosis of JPS was confirmed in the son. A review of the literatures revealed that patients with JPS can sometimes have adenomatous change. Most polyps in patients with JPS are benign hamartomatous polyps with no dysplasia. A review of 767 colorectal JPS polyps demonstrated that 8.5% of the polyps contained mild to moderate dysplasia, and only 0.3% had severe dysplasia or cancer. It is difficult to differentiate juvenile polyps with dysplasia from adenoma, which could explain why juvenile polyps have been reported to have adenomatous changes in patients with JPS. Therefore, patients with JPS, especially those with concomitant dysplasia and adenocarcinoma, might be easily diagnosed as FAP in clinical practice.Conclusions: Juvenile polyp with dysplasia is often diagnosed as adenoma, which might lead to the misdiagnosis of JPS as FAP. The differential diagnosis of JPS versus FAP, should be based on comprehensive evaluation of clinical presentation, endoscopic appearance and genetic investigations; not on the presence or absence of adenoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One big challenge in micro-fluidic systems is that the mixing efficiency by molecular free diffusion is too low, especially when the viscosity of the fluids is high. In this paper, we designed two types of inter-digital transducers that can generate surface acoustic waves (SAWs), and then performed a series of experiments, where streamings driven by SAWs accelerate the mixing of different fluids. It is found that when the driving voltage exceeds a threshold, an Eckart streaming is excited, and the Eckart streaming can effectively enhance the mixing efficiency of different fluids by almost one order of magnitude. The mixing efficiency increases with the driving voltage. The results also demonstrate that the mixing efficiency is high even in the high-viscosity fluids where the free diffusion is extremely slow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel low-voltage bandgap reference with improved power supply rejection (PSR). The proposed circuit adopts a complementary loop locking approach for stabilizing the drain-source voltages of the current mirrors, which gives rise to a boost of the PSR performance by more than 30 dB over − 2 0 –110∘C and at 1-V supply. An analysis shows that the PSR of the proposed bandgap reference is typically characterized with its insensitivity to temperature variations. The circuit is designed with a commercial 0.18- μ m CMOS process. The experiment results of Monte Carlo simulation demonstrate that the average PSR with 1-V supply is − 1 0 6 dB at DC and is − 9 3. 8 dB at 1 kHz (attained under a room temperature condition of 27∘C). And the temperature coefficient of the DC-based PSR is about 0.83%/∘C at 1-V supply, significantly decreased by three–six folds compared to other conventional designs. The quiescent current consumed is only about 13.5 μ A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic intralesional triamcinolone injection (ITI) for benign esophageal strictures combined with endoscopic dilation (ED). Methods. Online databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were comprehensively searched for prospective randomized control trials (RCTs) between 1966 and March 2018. A meta-analysis was conducted according to the methods recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration. Results. Six RCTs consisting of 176 patients were selected. Meta-analysis results showed that additional ITI had a significant advantage in terms of stricture rate and required ED sessions. Surgery-related and non-surgery-related strictures showed similar results. Additional ITI was not associated with significantly increased risk of complications. Conclusions. Our meta-analysis showed that additional ITI therapy was supposed to be effective and safe for benign esophageal strictures as it reduced the stricture rate and required ED sessions. However, more RCTs are necessary to support these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we aimed to investigate the incidence, risk factors, and clinical outcomes of perianal infections during the pre-engraftment phase after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).Consecutive patients who underwent non-T-cell-depleted allo-HSCT at the Peking University Institute of Hematology from January 1 to December 31, 2016 were enrolled (n = 646). Ninety-nine patients were found to have perianal infections during the pre-engraftment phase, and 80 were found to have neutropenia on perianal infection diagnosis. The cumulative incidence of perianal infection during the pre-engraftment phase after allo-HSCT was 15.3%. A history of perianal infection (hazard ratio [HR] = 15.28, p < 0.001) or hemorrhoids before allo-HSCT (HR = 3.09, p = 0.001) was significantly associated with the new occurrence of perianal infection after allo-HSCT. All patients received empirical broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapies, and 97 were cured after treatment. The clinical outcomes at 100 days after allo-HSCT were comparable in patients with and without perianal infections.In summary, patients who had perianal infection or hemorrhoids before allo-HSCT had a higher risk of new occurrence of perianal infection after allo-HSCT. With appropriate treatment, perianal infection during the pre-engraftment phase did not influence the clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: With consideration of the theoretical link between the stent insertion and the increased risk of tumor cells spillaged, which may lead to distant metastases, there is a concern about long-term clinical outcomes after the usage of self-expanding metallic stents (SEMS) as a "bridge to surgery" in the malignant colorectal obstruction (MCO) treatment. This cohort study aimed to compare the long-term oncological outcomes of SEMS as a bridge to surgery (SEMS group) with those of emergency surgery (ES group) for MCO.Methods: Twenty-seven patients who underwent semielective curative resection after endoscopic SEMS insertion were included from October 2007 to December 2012 in the SEMS group were compared with 33 patients who underwent emergency curative surgery for MCO during the same period in the ES group. The clinical pathologic characteristics and the overall survival (OS) rate were compared between the two groups.Results: There were no significant differences in demographics, tumor stage, location, and histology between the SEMS and ES groups. The median OS times were 37 months for the SEMS group and 23 months for the ES group. The proportions of patients who received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy were comparable (SEMS group versus ES group, 70.4% versus 45.5%; P = .138). There were no significant differences in terms of the long-term oncological outcome between two groups in the 3-year OS rate (55.6% versus 39.4%; P = .2119) and the 5-year OS rate (48.1% versus 36.4%; P = .3570).Conclusions: Long-term oncological outcomes of the SEMS group were comparable to those of the ES group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. We performed this meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy of probiotics on prevention of infection-related complications following colorectal resection. Method. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and the Web of Science were searched up to January 2016. According to the results, only randomized controlled trials that compared the efficacy of probiotics on patients with colorectal resection were included for meta-analysis. Results. Nine studies including a total of 1146 patients met the criteria (556 received multistrain probiotic bacteria, 590 with non-multistrain probiotic bacteria). The combination of multistrain probiotics was beneficial in the reduction of total infections (OR = 0.30, 95%CI: 0.15–0.61, p=0.0009), including surgical site infections (SSI) (OR = 0.48, 95%CI: 0.25–0.89, p=0.02) and nonsurgical site infections (NSSI) (OR = 0.36, 95%CI: 0.23–0.56, p<0.00001). However, there was no significant reduction in total infections (OR = 0.74, 95%CI: 0.50–1.09, p=0.13) or SSI (OR = 0.77, 95%CI: 0.52–1.12, p=0.17) with the application of non-multistrains of probiotics. Conclusion. Combinations of multistrain probiotic bacteria showed promise in preventing the incidence of infections following colorectal surgery. However, the efficacy of one or two strains of probiotics remains undetermined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of nanocomposites was prepared by reinforcing a high performance bisphenol-A phthalonitrile resin with different amounts of silane surface modified titania nanoparticles. The effect of the nanofillers amount on the thermal, mechanical, and corrosion protective properties was investigated. Thermogravimetric analysis shows that the starting decomposition temperatures and the residual weight at 800 °C were highly improved upon adding the nanofillers. At 6% nanoloading, the glass transition temperature and the storage modulus were considerably enhanced reaching 364.4 °C and 3.2 GPa, respectively. The tensile strength and modulus as well as the microhardness values increased with the increasing of the nanoparticles amount. The tensile modulus calculations were investigated using Series, Halpin–Tsai, and Kerner models. Haplin–Tsai model was found to reproduce the experimental data with the best accuracy. Finally, results from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that the neat resin and its related nanocomposites offer excellent corrosion protective properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new kind of nanocomposites based on phthalonitrile resin reinforced with silicon nitride (SiN) nanoparticles was prepared by a hot compression molding technique. For different weight ratios ranging between 0% and 15%, the effect of nano-SiN particles on the thermal and thermomechanical properties has been studied. Results from thermal analysis revealed that the starting decomposition temperature and the residual weight at 800 °C were highly improved upon adding the reinforcing phase. At the maximum nano-SiN loading, dynamic mechanical analysis showed an enhancement in both storage modulus and glass transition temperature, reaching 4 GPa and 360 °C respectively. Scanning electron microscope analysis confirmed that these improvements are essentially attributed to the good dispersion and adhesion between the particles and the resin thanks to the particles treatment with silane coupling agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of fluorene-based benzoxazine-endcapped copoly(ether ketone ketone)s (co-PEKKs) were successfully synthesized, in which the co-PEKKs were prepared with different molar ratios of 2,7-dihydroxy-9-fluorenone to bisphenol-A. The obtained phenol-ended co-PEKKs reacted with formaldehyde and n-butylamine to yield the benzoxazine-endcapped co-PEKKs (B-PEKKs). The structure of these oligomers was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and the molecular mass of these phenol-ended co-PEKKs was detected by gel permeation chromatography. The thermal behaviors of these B-PEKKs were determined by differential scanning calorimetry. In addition, the thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of the polymer films were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis and dynamic mechanical analysis. The results indicate that the incorporation of co-PEKKs within the benzoxazine backbone considerably improves the toughness of the fluorene-containing polybenzoxazines without much sacrifice of their thermal properties. Furthermore, as the content of 2,7-dihydroxy-9-fluorenone increases, the T values decrease, while the T values and char yields of the prepared polymers increase to reach their highest values at 256 °C and 64 %, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Calcium carbonate from crab shell improves the T g of polybenzoxazine. [•] Chitin biopolymer from crab shell catalyzes the polymerization of benzoxazine. [•] Chitin acts as coupling agent between polybenzoxazine matrix and calcium carbonate. [•] Addition of 30% of crab shell increases 173% in storage modulus of polybenzoxazine. [•] Calcium carbonate in crab shell enhances the thermal stability of polybenzoxazine. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Single-component white-light phosphors can overcome many of the problems associated with multiple emitting components, such as intrinsic color balance, device complications and high cost. Here, we demonstrate a novel type of single-component white-light Sr2− x V2O7:Eu x phosphor with dual-luminescence centers (x =0–0.24) for white light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Due to the charge transfer absorption ( ), the white light spectra they emit consist of both a broad photoluminescence band centered at about 518nm, which would be from VO4 groups with approximate C 3v symmetry, and a sharp characteristic spectrum (5 D 0 → 7 F 2) at about 611nm from the doped Eu3+ ion at the Sr2+ sites in the Sr2V2O7 crystal. Moreover, to explain the broad emission spectra of these phosphors, a 10×10 energy matrix was successfully established based on an effective operator Hamiltonian, including free ion and crystal field interactions. For the first time, the broad emission spectra for VO4 groups with the approximate C 3v symmetry were calculated using a complete diagonalization (of energy matrix) method. The fitting and experimental values are close to each other, powerfully demonstrating the nature of this broad emission and the feasibility of using the complete diagonalization method to study the phosphors for white LEDs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective To investigate the diagnostic status of colorectal cancer ( CRC) and the influence of early diagnosis and cancer stage in a tertiary care hospital in China. Methods Face-to-face interviews were conducted in 364 consecutive CRC patients who had never participated in CRC screening. Initial symptoms, diagnosis and treatment delay were determined using a questionnaire. Factors influencing diagnostic status were analyzed using univariate analysis and logistic regression model. Results A total of 307 patients were enrolled, in which 128 were with colon cancer and 179 with rectal cancer. The duration of diagnosis delay was significant longer than that of treatment delay. Unlike rectal cancer, colon cancer was likely to be treated at an advanced stage with a short interval between symptom onset and treatment. Colon cancer patients with a history of biliary tract or gallbladder stones, aged ≥ 50 years and with abdominal mass or intestinal obstruction as the initial symptom were diagnosed and treated much earlier. In rectal cancer, women and non-smokers were diagnosed and treated quickly. Factors correlated with early cancer stage were found in colon cancer, including bloody stool as the initial symptom ( OR = 2.63, 95% CI 1.08-6.25, P = 0.034) and a history of appendectomy ( OR = 4.00, 95% CI 1.15-14.29, P = 0.029). Conclusions The factors contributing to early cancer detection were identified but their clinical value is limited. Diagnosis by symptoms suggesting CRC needs to be improved and CRC screening should be vigorously promoted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Er-single-doped and Er/Ce-codoped La3Ga5SiO14 polycrystalline powders are synthesized by the solid-phase synthesis method. The room-temperature luminescence spectra of the samples are investigated. The Near-infraredregion spectroscopic properties of Er3+ ions in theLa3Ga5SiO14 systems are analysed with Judd-Ofelt theory and rate equations. The effective deactivating effect of Ce3+ ions on Er3+ ions is confirmed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The complete mitochondrial genome of C. yixingensis was sequenced for the first time. • The steady state transcript levels of mitochondrial COX3 , ND4 and ND4L genes were reduced under 40 μg/L imidacloprid for 24 h. • Steady state transcript levels of ND4 and ND4L were also significantly reduced under different concentrations. As one of the most common benthic invertebrates in freshwater, mayflies are very sensitive to changes in water quality and have high requirements for the water environment to allow their nymphs to successfully live and grow. Neonicotinoids, such as imidacloprid, can enter fresh water and pollute the aquatic environment. The present study had two goals: (1) investigate imidacloprid effects on mayfly larvae Choroterpes (Euthralus) yixingensis , and (2) contribute to the phylogenetic status of Ephemeroptera that has always been controversial. Nymphs were collected from Jinhua, China and exposed to different concentrations imidacloprid (5, 10, 20, and 40 μg/L) in the laboratory. Survival of C. yixingensis nymphs decreased as a function of time and imidacloprid concentration with only ~ 55% survival after 72 h exposure to 40 μg/L imidacloprid. After culture under 40 μg/L imidacloprid for 24 h, the steady state transcript levels of mitochondrial COX3 , ND4 and ND4L genes were reduced to just 0.07 ± 0.11, 0.30 ± 0.16, and 0.28 ± 0.13 as compared with respective control values (P < 0.01). Steady state transcript levels of ND4 and ND4L were also significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05), suggesting that the steady state transcript pattern of these genes in mayfly nymphs can change in response to different levels of environmental contamination. Hence, the mitochondrial protein-coding genes of mayflies could potentially be developed as biomarkers for water ecotoxicity monitoring in the future. In addition, we used the mitochondrial genome sequence of C. yixingensis for an assessment of the phylogenetic tree of Ephemeroptera. The monophyly of Leptophlebiidae was supported and showed that Leptophlebiidae was a sister group to the clade (Baetidae + Caenidae). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Bristletails (Insecta: Microcoryphia) are primarily wingless insects, some of which have been found to exhibit parthenogenesis. In the genus Coreamachilis, parthenogenesis occurs in C. coreanus, whereas sexual reproduction is found in C. songi. Therefore, after obtaining mitochondrial genome sequences of these two species, we analyzed their selection pressure, based on phylogenetic trees of Microcoryphia. However, no positive selection was found in the mitochondrial protein coding genes of either C. coreanus or C. songi. In addition, a long hairpin structure was found between ND1 and 16S rRNA genes in Machilinae and Petrobiinae, which was highly consistent with the phylogenetic results. The order Microcoryphia, commonly known as bristletails, is considered as the most primitive one among living insects. Within this order, two species, Coreamachilis coreanus and C. songi (Machilidae: Machilinae), display the following contrasting reproductive strategies: parthenogenesis occurs in C. coreanus, whereas sexual reproduction is found in C. songi. In the present study, the complete mitogenomes of C. coreanus and C. songi were sequenced to compare their mitogenome structure, analyze relationships within the Microcoryphia, and assess adaptive evolution. The length of the mitogenomes of C. coreanus and C. songi were 15,578 bp and 15,570 bp, respectively, and the gene orders were those of typical insects. A long hairpin structure was found between the ND1 and 16S rRNA genes of both species that seem to be characteristic of Machilinae and Petrobiinae species. Phylogenetic assessment of Coreamachilis was conducted using BI and ML analyses with concatenated nucleotide sequences of the 13 protein-coding genes. The results showed that the monophyly of Machilidae, Machilinae, and Petrobiinae was not supported. The genus Coreamachilis (C. coreanus and C. songi) was a sister clade to Allopsontus helanensis, and then the clade of ((C. coreanus + C. songi) + A. helanensis) was a sister clade to A. baii, which suggests that the monophyly of Allopsontus was not supported. Positive selection analysis of the 13 protein-coding genes failed to reveal any positive selection in C. coreanus or C. songi. The long hairpin structures found in Machilinae and Petrobiinae were highly consistent with the phylogenetic results and could potentially be used as an additional molecular characteristic to further discuss relationships within the Microcoryphia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ketamine, a noncompetitive N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, is widely used in pediatric clinical practice. The neuroprotective and neurotoxic effects of ketamine on brain neurons during development remain controversial. The reason may be related to the different concentrations of ketamine used in practice and the small range of concentrations used in previous studies. In this study, cultured hippocampal neurons were treated with ketamine in a wide range of concentrations to comprehensively observe the effects of different concentrations of ketamine on neurons. We demonstrated that low concentrations of ketamine (10 μM, 100 μM and 1000 μM) promoted neuronal survival (p < 0.05) and reduced neuronal apoptosis (p < 0.05) compared with those of the control group. High concentrations of ketamine (2000 μM, 2500 μM and 3000 μM) reduced neuronal survival (p < 0.05) and promoted neuronal apoptosis (p < 0.05). The p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 reduced neuronal apoptosis induced by high concentrations of ketamine (2500 μM) (p < 0.05). Our findings indicate that ketamine exerts a dual effect on the apoptosis of primary cultured fetal rat hippocampal neurons in vitro and that the neurotoxic effects of ketamine are related to activation of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Posterior tibial slope angle (PTSA) is a risk factor for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and has attracted a lot of attention, but its mechanism of action and diagnosis are still not systematically studied in the field of sports medicine. In this paper, we believe that PTSA should be measured by full-length lower extremity films and combined with multiple imaging data for comprehensive assessment to reduce errors. A large PTSA may increases risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury, so patients with more than 12 degrees of PTSA should be treated by preserving meniscus as much as possible during ACL reconstruction and combining with tibial osteotomy if necessary, which could effectively prevent risk of ligament re-injury. At the same time, gait analysis has an important reference value for preoperative pathogenic pattern and postoperative rehabilitation function, so the author believes that it will have a guiding significance for the development of individualized rehabilitation strategy based on PTSA, in order to achieve the best treatment effect.

Background and Objective: Ultrasound has been widely used in the diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment of peripheral nerve diseases in the clinic, but there is still a lack of feasibility analysis in rodent models of neurological disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in the cross-sectional area of the sciatic nerve of different genders and body weights and to explore the effectiveness and reliability of an ultrasound-guided block around the sciatic nerve in living rats., Methods: Using ultrasound imaging anatomy of the sciatic nerve of rats, the cross-sectional area of the sciatic nerve in rats of different genders from 6 to 10 weeks old was calculated, and then analyzed its correlation with body weight. Further analyses were conducted through behavioral and cadaveric studies to evaluate the feasibility of ultrasound-guided perineural injection of the sciatic nerve in rats., Results: We first reported that the sciatic nerve cross-sectional area of rats was increased with age ( F = 89.169, P < 0.001), males had a higher sciatic nerve cross-sectional area than females ( F = 60.770, P < 0.001), and there was a positive correlation with body weight ( r Male = 0.8976, P < 0.001; r Female = 0.7733, P < 0.001). Behavioral observation of rats showed that the lower extremity complete block rate was 80% following the administration of drugs around the sciatic nerve under ultrasound guidance and staining with methylene blue occurred in all sciatic nerves and surrounding muscles and fascia using 20 ultrasound-guided injections., Conclusions: Ultrasound visualization technology can be used as a new auxiliary evaluation and intervention therapy for animal models of peripheral nerve injury, and will provide overwhelming new references for the basic research of neurological diseases., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Xu, Lin, Qiu, Zeng, Chen, Liu, Ye, Wang, Liu and Zhang.)

Background: Bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 1A ( BMPR1A ) is responsible for two individual Mendelian diseases: juvenile polyposis syndrome and hereditary mixed polyposis syndrome 2, which have overlapping phenotypes. This study aimed to elucidate whether these two syndromes are just two subtypes of a single syndrome rather than two isolated syndromes., Methods: We sequenced the BMPR1A gene in 186 patients with polyposis and colorectal cancer, and evaluated the clinicopathological features and phenotypes of the probands and their available relatives with BMPR1A mutations., Results: BMPR1A germline mutations were found in six probands and their three available relatives. The numbers of frameshift, nonsense, splice-site, and missense mutations were one, one, two, and two, respectively; two of the six mutations were novel. Typical juvenile polyps were found in only three patients. Two patients had colorectal cancer rather than any polyps., Conclusions: Diseases in BMPR1A germline mutation carriers vary from mixed polyposis to sole colorectal cancer, and typical juvenile polyps do not always occur in these carriers. The variety of phenotypes reflected the features of BMPR1A -mutation carriers, which should be recognized as a spectrum of one syndrome. Genetic testing may be a good approach to identifying BMPR1A -related syndromes., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press and Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.)

Background: As an autoimmune systemic disorder, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) features chronic inflammation as well as synovial infiltration of immune cells. This study was designed with the purpose of discussing the hidden mechanism of SPTBN1 and exploring favorable molecular-targeted therapies., Methods: With the application of RT-qPCR and western blot, the expressions of SPTBN1 and PIK3R2 before or after transfection were estimated. Besides, Cell Counting Kit-8, Edu, wound healing, transwell, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and TUNEL were adopted for the evaluation of the viability, proliferation, migration, invasion, inflammatory response, and apoptosis of fibroblast-like synoviocyte (FLS). In addition, the interaction of SPTBN1 and PIK3R2 was testified by applying immunoprecipitation (IP) and western blot was utilized for the assessment of migration-, apoptosis-, and PI3K/AKT signal-related proteins., Results: It was discovered that SPTBN1 declined in RA synovial cells and its overexpression repressed the proliferation, migration, invasion, and inflammation of RA-FLSs but promoted apoptosis. IP confirmed that SPTBN1 could bind to PIK3R2 in FLSs. To further figure out the hidden mechanism of SPTBN1 in RA, a series of functional experiments were carried out and the results demonstrated that the reduced expressions of MMP2, MMP9, IL-8, IL-1β, IL-6, and Bcl2 as well as increased levels of Bax and cleaved caspase3 in SPTBN1-overexpressed RA-FLSs were reversed by PIK3R2 depletion, revealing that SPTBN1 repressed the migration and inflammation and promoted the apoptosis of RA-FLSs via binding to PIK3R2. Results obtained from western blot also revealed that PIK3R2 interference ascended the contents of p-PI3K and p-AKT in SPTBN1-overexpressed RA-FLSs, implying that SPTBN1 repressed PI3K/AKT signal in RA via PIK3R2., Discussion: SPTBN1 alleviated the proliferation, migration, invasion, and inflammation in RA via interacting with PIK3R2., (© 2022 The Authors. Immunity, Inflammation and Disease published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The Luciolinae genus Emeia Fu, Ballantyne & Lambkin, 2012 is reviewed. Phylogenetic relationships based on cox1 DNA barcoding sequences from 42 fireflies and 2 outgroup species are reconstructed. The dataset included three main Lampyridae subfamilies: Luciolinae, Photurinae and Lampyrinae, and Emeia was recovered within Luciolinae. A new species, Emeiapulchra Zhu & Zhen sp. nov. , is described from the wetland of Lishui, Zhejiang, China. Emeiapulchra is sister species to E.pseudosauteri from Sichuan, which is supported by morphological characters and a phylogeny based on DNA barcoding sequences. The two species are separated geographically as shown on the distribution map. A key to species of Emeia using males is provided., (Cheng-Qi Zhu, Xiao-Dong Xu, Ying Zhen.)

Background: The urine protein-creatinine ratio (UPCR) in a spot first-morning urine sample is used to estimate 24-h urine proteinuria (24hUP) in patients who underwent urine protein testing. UPCR cannot be directly compared with 24-h proteinuria. Thus, an equation to estimate 24-h total protein excretion rate, using age, gender, and the UPCR may improve its bias and accuracy in patients who underwent urine protein testing., Methods: We simultaneously measured 24-h urine protein and the same day's first-morning spot urine from patients with kidney disease. Generalized linear and no-linear models, using age, gender, and UPCR, were constructed to estimate for 24-h urine protein and the best model (NJ equation) was selected to estimated 24 hUP (e24hUP)., Results: A total of 5435 paired samples (including a training cohort of 3803 patients and a validation cohort of 1632 patients) were simultaneously measured for UPCR and 24-h urine protein. In the training cohort, the unadjusted UPCR obviously underestimated 24-h urine protein when UPCR ≤1.2 g/g (median bias - 0.17 g/24 h) and overestimated 24-h urine protein when UPCR > 1.2 g/g (median bias 0.53 g/24 h). In the validation cohort, the NJ equation performed better than the unadjusted UPCR, with lower root mean square error (0.81 vs. 1.02, P < 0.001), less bias (median difference between measured and estimated urine protein, - 0.008 vs. 0.12), improved precision (interquartile range of the differences, 0.34 vs. 0.50), and greater accuracy (percentage of estimated urine protein within 30% of measured urine protein, 53.4% vs. 32.2%). Bland-Altman plot indicated that the agreement of spot and daily estimates was less pronounced with 24 hUP > 2 g than lower values., Conclusions: The NJ e24hUP equation is more accurate than unadjusted UPCR to estimate 24 hUP in patients with kidney disease and could be used for laboratory application., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

A Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, non-sporulating, yellow-pigmented and rod or cocci-shaped bacterium, designated Arc0846-15 T , was isolated from the kelp Laminaria japonica . Strain Arc0846-15 T was found to grow at 16-35 °C (optimum, 28 °C), at pH 6.0-9.5 (optimum, 7.0) and in the presence of 0-6 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 2 %). Cells were positive for catalase and negative for oxidase activity. Phylogenetic analyses, based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons, revealed that the nearest phylogenetic neighbour strains of strain Arc0846-15 T were Ornithinimicrobium murale 01 Gi-040 T (96.2 %), Ornithinimicrobium kibberense K22-20 T (96.1 %) and Ornithinimicrobium humiphilum HKI 0124 T (95.2 %). Based on phylogenomic analysis, the average nucleotide identity values between strain Arc0846-15 T and the neighbour strains were 69.8, 69.7 and 69.8 %, respectively; the digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain Arc0846-15 T and its three closest neighbour strains were 18.8, 19.1 and 19.3 %, respectively. The predominant menaquinone was MK-8 (H 4 ). The dominant cellular fatty acids were C 17 : 1  ω 8 c , iso-C 15 : 0 , iso-C 16 : 0 and C 17 : 0 . The polar lipids contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, glycolipid, one unidentified aminolipid and four unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content of strain Arc0846-15 T was 61.6 mol% based on the whole genome sequence. Based on the phylogenetic and phenotypic characteristics, strain Arc0846-15 T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Ornithinimicrobium , for which the name Ornithinimicrobium laminariae sp. nov. is proposed, with Arc0846-15 T (=KCTC 49655 T =MCCC 1K06093 T ) as the type strain.

Background: Dysregulation of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase (NOX) family is frequently observed in cancers and associated with their development and progression. However, the expression, role, and clinical significance of the NOX family members in pancreatic cancer remain unexplored., Methods: The expression levels of the 7 NOX family genes were analyzed in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and gene alterations were explored using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data portal. Clinical significance analyses of the NOX family genes were conducted among pancreatic cancer patients. The expression and prognostic value of dual oxidase 2 ( DUOX2 ) were then validated by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in an independent validation cohort. The function of DUOX2 was analyzed by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and its effect on the chemosensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells was detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay., Results: Results showed that NOX1, NOX2 ( CYBB ) , NOX4, DUOX1 , and DUOX2 were upregulated, while NOX3 and NOX5 were downregulated in pancreatic cancer tissues compared with nontumor tissues. Genomic alteration analysis demonstrated that deregulation of NOX family genes was partially caused by genomic alterations. Survival analyses showed that only DUOX2 was associated with overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) of pancreatic cancer patients. The DUOX2 gene was observed to be markedly overexpressed in pancreatic cancer. In the GSEA results for pancreatic cancer patients, DUOX2 was significantly associated with oxidoreductase activity acting on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrogen (NADH) or NADPH and uridine 5'-diphospho-glucuronosyltansferase (UDP) glycosyltransferase activity. Knockdown of DUOX2 in pancreatic cancer cells increased their sensitivity to doxorubicin., Conclusions: Overexpression of DUOX2 is correlated with prognosis and recurrence in pancreatic cancer patients and acts as a good marker for pancreatic cancer course prediction; furthermore, DUOX2 might be a therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer patients., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://gs.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/gs-21-776/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2022 Gland Surgery. All rights reserved.)

A Gram-stain-negative, motile, facultative anaerobic and rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain NR704-98 T , was isolated from marine sediment of the northern South China Sea. Cells were positive for oxidase and catalase activity. Growth was observed at 4-30 °C (optimum 20-25 °C), at pH 6-9 (pH 7) and with 0.5-7 % NaCl (2 %). The 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic analysis revealed that the nearest phylogenetic neighbours of strain NR704-98 T were Shewanella woodyi MS32 T (97.9 %), Shewanella hanedai 281 T (97.1 %), Shewanella sediminis HAW-EB3 T (96.8 %) and Shewanella canadensis HAW-EB2 T (96.7 %). Based on the results of phylogenomic analysis, the average nucleotide identity and the digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain NR704-98 T and the previously mentioned type strains of species of the genus Shewanella were in the range of 74.9-93.1 % and 20.6-51.4 %, respectively. The respiratory quinones were Q-7 and Q-8. The predominant fatty acids (>10 %) of strain NR704-98 T were C 16 : 0 , summed feature 3 (C 16 : 1  ω 7 c and/or C 16 : 1  ω 6 c ) and iso-C 15 : 0 . Phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, two unidentified aminophospholipids and five unidentified lipids were detected in strain NR704-98 T . Based on the phylogenetic and phenotypic characteristics, strain NR704-98 T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Shewanella , for which the name Shewanella nanhaiensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NR704-98 T (=KCTC 82799 T =MCCC 1K06091 T ).

Gene rearrangements have been found in several mitochondrial genomes of Mantodea, located in the gene blocks CR-I-Q-M-ND2, COX1-K-D-ATP8 and ND3-A-R-N-S-E-F-ND5. We have sequenced one mitogenome of Amelidae (Yersinia mexicana) and six mitogenomes of Mantidae to discuss the mitochondrial gene rearrangement and the phylogenetic relationship within Mantidae. These mitogenomes showed rearrangements of tRNA genes except for Asiadodis yunnanensis and Hierodula zhangi. These novel gene rearrangements of Mantidae were primarily concentrated in the region of CR-I-Q-M-ND2, including gene translocation, duplication and pseudogenization. For the occurrences of these rearrangements, the tandem duplication-random loss (TDRL) model and slipped-strand mispairing model were suitable to explain. Large non-coding regions (LNCRs) located in the region of CR-I-Q-M-ND2 were detected in most Mantidae species, whereas some LNCRs had high similarity to the control region (CR). Both BI and ML phylogenetic analyses supported the monophyly of Mantidae and the paraphyly of Mantinae. The phylogenetic results with the gene order and the location of NCRs acted as forceful evidence that specific gene rearrangements and special LNCRs may be synapomorphies for several groups of mantises., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We determined 15 complete and two nearly complete mitogenomes of Heptageniidae belonging to three subfamilies (Heptageniinae, Rhithrogeninae, and Ecdyonurinae) and six genera ( Afronurus , Epeorus , Leucrocuta , Maccaffertium , Stenacron , and Stenonema ). Species of Rhithrogeninae and Ecdyonurinae had the same gene rearrangement of CR -I-M-Q-M-ND2 , whereas a novel gene rearrangement of CR- I-M-Q -NCR- ND2 was found in Heptageniinae. Non-coding regions (NCRs) of 25-47 bp located between trnA and trnR were observed in all mayflies of Heptageniidae, which may be a synapomorphy for Heptageniidae. Both the BI and ML phylogenetic analyses supported the monophyly of Heptageniidae and its subfamilies (Heptageniinae, Rhithrogeninae, and Ecdyonurinae). The phylogenetic results combined with gene rearrangements and NCR locations confirmed the relationship of the subfamilies as (Heptageniinae + (Rhithrogeninae + Ecdyonurinae)). To assess the effects of low-temperature stress on Heptageniidae species from Ottawa, Canada, we found 27 positive selection sites in eight protein-coding genes (PCGs) using the branch-site model. The selection pressure analyses suggested that mitochondrial PCGs underwent positive selection to meet the energy requirements under low-temperature stress.

Objective: To report Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) cases with non-definitive clues in the family or personal history and finally diagnosed through pathological examination and STK11 gene mutation test., Clinical Presentation and Intervention: PJS was suspected in 3 families with tortuous medical courses. Two of them had relatives departed due to polyposis or colon cancer without pathological results, and the other one had been diagnosed as hyperplastic polyposis before. Diagnosis of PJS was confirmed by endoscopy and repeated pathological examinations, and the STK11 mutation test finally confirmed the diagnosis at genetic level, during which 3 novel mutation were detected (536C > A, 373&#95;374insA, 454&#95;455insGGAGAAGCGTTTCCCAGTGTGCC)., Conclusion: Early diagnosis of PJS is important and may be based on a family history with selective features among family members, and the pathological information is the key. The novel mutations also expand the STK11 variant spectrum.

Objective: Diabetic nephropathy is a serious threat to human health, and its incidence is on the rise. End-stage diabetic nephropathy (ESDN) requires extra investigation due to its complexity and severity, as well as serious concurrent diseases. Our objective was to compare the efficacy of hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) in the treatment of ESDN., Methods: Clinical data of 84 patients with ESDN admitted to our hospital from June 2016 to June 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into an HD group that received hemodialysis and a PD group that received peritoneal dialysis. Their general conditions, biochemical indicators, residual renal function and incidence of complications were recorded and compared between the two groups., Results: (1) No significant difference in diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, body weight, or urine output was detected between the two groups at the beginning of dialysis (P>0.05). (2) Compared to the PD group, the HD group had significantly lower total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) (P<0.05), and significantly higher total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) after treatment (P<0.05). (3) The two groups also showed significant difference in residual renal function after treatment (P<0.05). (4) The HD group had significantly higher systolic pressure than the PD group after treatment (P<0.05). And more cases of infection were observed in the PD group than the HD group (P<0.05)., Conclusion: Both HD and PD are used for treatment of ESDN, and can achieve similar calcium and phosphorus control. Compared to HD, PD has less adverse effect on hemodynamics and better preserves residual renal function, but is more likely to cause malnutrition and disorders of lipid metabolism. Therefore, choice of dialysis method should be based on specific conditions of each patient., (Copyright: © Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences.)

As a small order of Pterygota (Insecta), Ephemeroptera has almost 3,500 species around the world. Ephemerellidae is a widely distributed common group of Ephemeroptera. However, the relationship among Ephemerellidae, Vietnamellidae and Teloganellidae is still in dispute. In this study, we sequenced six complete mitogenomes of three genera from Ephemerellidae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera): Ephemerella sp. Yunnan-2018, Serratella zapekinae , Serratella sp. Yunnan-2018, Serratella sp. Liaoning-2019, Torleya grandipennis and T. tumiforceps . These mitogenomes were employed to reveal controversial phylogenetic relationships among the Ephemeroptera, with emphasis on the phylogenetic relationships among Ephemerellidae. The lengths of the six mayfly mitogenomes ranged from 15,134 bp to 15,703 bp. Four mitogenomes of Ephemerella sp. Yunnan-2018, Serratella zapekinae , Serratella sp. Yunnan-2018 and Serratella sp. Liaoning-2019 had 22 tRNAs including an inversion and translocation of trnI . By contrast, the mitogenomes of T. tumiforceps and T. grandipennis had 24 tRNAs due to an extra two copies of inversion and translocation of trnI . Within the family Ephemerellidae, disparate gene rearrangement occurred in the mitogenomes of different genera: one copy of inversion and translocation trnI in the genera Ephemerella and Serratella , and three repeat copies of inversion and translocation of trnI in the genus Torleya . A large non-coding region (≥200 bp) between trnS1 (AGN) and trnE was detected in T. grandipennis and T. tumiforceps . Among the phylogenetic relationship of the Ephemeroptera, the monophyly of almost all families except Siphlonuridae was supported by BI and ML analyses. The phylogenetic results indicated that Ephemerellidae was the sister clade to Vietnamellidae whereas Teloganellidae was not a sister clade of Ephemerellidae and Vietnamellidae., Competing Interests: Kenneth B. Storey and Jia-Yong Zhang are Academic Editors for PeerJ., (©2020 Xu et al.)

Inflammation plays a major role in the development of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. Recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide (rhBNP), a man-made version of a peptide that is elevated in heart failure, exhibits anti-inflammatory effects in various tissues. However, its role in myocardial IR injury remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that treatment with rhBNP provided protection for mice against myocardial IR injury as manifested by reduced infarct size and well-preserved myocardial, attenuated inflammatory infiltration and CD4 + T cell proliferation function, and inhibited expression of proinflammatory related genes. Furthermore, mechanistic studies revealed that rhBNP inhibited Jurkat T proliferation by promoting PI3K/AKT/mTOR phosphorylation. Collectively, our data suggest that the administration of rhBNP during IR injury could expand our understanding of the cardioprotective effects of rhBNP., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2020 Kun-Peng Li et al.)

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the commonest neurodegenerative disease and, in recent years, studies have increasingly shown that vascular lesions are involved in the pathology of AD onset and progression. Many vascular changes precede the pathological changes and clinical symptoms of AD, and vascular lesions and AD have many common risk factors. Understanding the relationship between vascular factors and the pathological process of AD may help us to identify novel prevention and treatment strategies as well as delay disease progress. Previous studies have shown that lycopene has neuroprotective, antioxidant, and anticancer effects; however, the specific molecular mechanism mediating these effects remains unknown. In the present study, we found: 1) lycopene improved learning and memory in an AD mouse model; 2) lycopene inhibited amyloid plaque aggregation and neuroinflammation; and 3) lycopene induced LXR expression and activated the LXR-PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. Our findings suggest that promotion of neurogenesis and improvement of the functions of the neurovascular unit could be a novel direction for the development of AD therapies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest with regard to this manuscript., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Annamanum lunulatum is 15,610 bp in length, which contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, two ribosomal RNAs, and the A + T-rich region. The arrangement of genes is identical to all know longhorn beetles mitochondrial genomes. The overall AT content of the mitochondrial genome is 75.3%, whereas the AT content of A + T-rich region is 84.3%. In ML and BI phylogenetic analyses, A. lunulatum is a sister clade to Blepephaeus succinctor , and the monophyly of Lamiinae is supported., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors., (© 2020 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)

The phylogenetic relationship of Caenidae remains hotly debated within the Ephemeroptera. We sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of Caenis sp. (Ephemeroptera: Caenidae) to discuss the phylogenetic relationships among the Caenidae. The mitochondrial genome of Caenis sp. collected from Jian'ou, Fujian province, China is a circular molecule of 15,392 bp in length containing 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, and two rRNAs), which showed the typical insect mitochondrial gene arrangement. In BI and ML phylogenetic trees using 23 species from 13 families, the monophyly of the families Caenidae, Heptageniidae, Isonychiidae, and Vietnamellidae was strongly supported. The clade of Caenidae is a sister clade to the clade of Teloganodidae and Baetidae., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors., (© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)